Manshu-in *

Manshu-in has a history dating back to Saicho (767-822) who established the Tendai sect in Japan. Manshu-in was moved to the present site in 1656, and Manshu-in is one of the few chances to actually experience the diagonal organisation of the main structures. Connected to the Sho Shoin is a tea room named Hasso-ken. Tendai Buddhism.

Manshu-in is generally open to the public, but access to the tea room Hasso-ken takes special permission. Application can be made on a return postcard. Entrance fee is 1.000 yen. Photography not permitted.

Manshu-in, 42 Takenouchi-cho, Icjijoji, Sakyo-ku, 606 Kyoto

Tel. & fax: (075) 781 5010

URL: www.manshuinmonzeki.jp (only in Japanese)


Miyako Hotel annex, Kasui-en - see Kasui-en


Murin-an *

Murin-an is a Meiji period villa designed by Takamasa Niinomi, having a nice shakkei garden, executed by Jihei Ogawa.

Murin-an is generally open to the public, but in case you want to enter the tea pavilion, you will have to ask permission on location or make arrangement in advance. By contacting the Cultural Planning Section of Kyoto City, the tea pavilion and the Japanese style room of the main house can be rented for one day for 3.500 yen each.

Murin-an, Nanzenji Kusakawa-cho 31, Sakyo-ku, 606 Kyoto

Tel.: (075) 771 3909
Tel. (075) 222 4102 (Cultural Planning Section of Kyoto City)


Myoki-an (Tai-an)

Myoki-an is situated slightly south-west of Kyoto. After the death of tea master Sen Rikyu (1522-91) the tea pavilion Tai-an, a two mat soan chashitsu from 1582, and one of the only tea rooms that in all likelihood can be ascribed to Rikyu.

Myoki-an is not open to the general public. But a visit can be arranged. Even then you are not permitted to enter Tai-an, only to look through the nichiri-guchi. Therefore, after the Heisei-no-Taian copy of Rikyu's Tai-an was made at Zuiho-in, in which you are permitted to enter the tea room (see Zuiho-in), I have judged the possibility of entering the Heisei-no-Taian and actually being able to experience sitting in a two mat room more rewarding than gazing through the nichiri-guchi of the original.

Myoki-an, Aza-Oyamazaki, Oyamasaki-cho, Otoguni-kun, Kyoto-fu

Tel.: (075) 956 0103


Myoshin-ji Hojo and axis *

Myoshin-ji came into being in early Muromachi period, as Emperor Hanazono (1297-1348) had his private villa converted into a Zen temple. Practically everything burned down during the Onin wars, but Myoshin-ji was rebuilt on grand scale. Some 45 subtemples cluster around its main axis, and is better than Daitoku-ji as a place for experiencing the main structure of the major Zen temple. At large, the individual subtemples cannot match Daitoku-ji in artistic measure. But the small Muromachi garden of Taizo-in (see below) is an important visit. And embarking a discovery along the many walled lanes of the temple compound watching for pavement details and spatial arrangements of arrival gardens of the many subtemples, together with the accessible and well preserved main axis, makes Myoshin-ji a rewarding experience. Rinzai Zen Buddhism.

The temple compound of Myoshin-ji is generally open to the public, and usually the Hojo temple is open and free of charge. But in case of ceremonies, it might be closed.

Myoshin-ji Hojo, 1 Myoshinji-cho, Hanazono, Ukyo-ku, 616 Kyoto

Tel.: (075) 461 5226
Fax: (075) 464 2069

URL: www.myoshinji.or.jp/english/index.html


Nanzen-ji Hojo and Sanmon *

Nanzen-ji traces its history back to 1290 where an Imperial palace was transferred into a Zen temple. During the Muromachi period Nanzen-ji was one of the highest ranking temples, but as most other temples in the Kyoto area, it was totally destroyed during the Onin war, and was never rebuilt to its former scale. And only in the beginning of the Edo period, a major reconstruction took place, and a number of structures were removed from the Imperial Palace and from Hideyoshi's Fushimi Castle. You can enter the grand Sanmon gate, dating from the reconstruction in 1611, and also a visit to the Hojo temple is rewarding, due to the gaudy fusuma of the interiors and the kare sansui garden facing the Hojo. This garden is often ascribed Kobori Enshu (1579-1647), who was responsible for the building affairs of the Shogunate at the time of the reconstruction. But judged from its typology, it is probably some 50 or 60 years younger. Rinzai Zen Buddhism.

Sanmon and Nanzen-ji Hojo is generally open to the public.

Nanzen-ji Hojo, Fukuchi-cho, Nanzenji, Sakyo-ku, 606 Kyoto

Tel.: (075) 771 0365
Fax: (075) 771 6989

URL: www.nanzenji.com


Nijo-jo *

The Nijo castle was built in 1603 as the Kyoto headquarters of the shogunate. It is emblematic of the qualities of representative architecture of the Edo shogunate. Everything in the garden design, interior and exterior of the reception halls is grand, costly, gaudy, and impressive not to say overwhelming.

The Nijo compound is generally open to the public. Photographing not permitted in the interior.

Nijo-jo, 541 Nijojo-cho, Nijo-dori Horikawa nishi-iru, Nakagyo-ku, 604 Kyoto

Tel.: (075) 841 0096
Fax: (075) 802 6181


Ninna-ji *

Ninna-ji is a big temple compound in the north-western outskirts of Kyoto. Its history dates back to 888, but Ninna-ji was hit by several big fires, so even though we can see an architecture with shinden characteristics, it is basically reconstructions from later periods - parts of it only after a big fire in 1919. Ninna-ji has two famous tea pavilions Mito-tei and Ryokaku-tei. Shingon Buddhism.

Ninna-ji is generally open to the public, but the tea pavilions Mito-tei and Ryokaku-tei takes special permission. Application can be made on a return postcard. Entrance fee is 1.500 yen. Photography not permitted - or in the end you may be permitted to take one photo.

In the standard tour for Mito-tei and Ryokaku-tei you are not permitted to enter the pavilions. And having earlier same day visited Omote Senke, in which you were permitted to walk the roji and enter all the tea rooms, you cannot escape the feeling that you were near some very important experience - but didn't really get it. Especially the architecture of Ryokaku-tei related the Edo artist Ogata Korin appeared to be most interesting.

Ninna-ji, 33 Ouchi, Omuro, Ukyo-ku, 616-8092 Kyoto

Tel.: (075) 461 1155
Fax: (075) 464 4070


Nishi Hongan-ji

Nishi Hongan-ji was established in 1272 by the daughter of Shinran (1173-1263), who founded the Jodo Shin sect. The temple compound houses a wealth of important gardens, architecture and art works, especially from the Momoyama period. Jodo Shin Buddhism.

The main structures of Nishi Hongan-ji are open to the general public, and thus there is access to the Dai-shoin and the Karamon gate. But in order to see Kuro-shoin, Shiro-shoin the Momoyama garden and the Noh stage, application for a guided tour must be made. It can be done at the temple office located to the left of the main halls. There are several tours a day, but the tour does not include a visit to the Hiunkaku pavilion.

Nishi Hongan-ji, Honganjimonzen-cho, Horikawa-dori Hanaya-cho sagaru, Shimogyo-ku, 600 Kyoto

Tel.: (075) 371 5181
Fax: (075) 351 1211

URL: www.hongwanji.or.jp/english





Continue to Kyoto, places to visit, O-R (8 af 11).