Kyoto #20: 建仁寺【Kennin-Ji】part1

Wonderful Kyoto-Like Temple
Kennin-Ji in Kyoto.

目次 ~Contents~

Kennin-Ji, located in Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, is the oldest Zen temple in Kyoto. There are many valuable cultural properties at Kennin-Ji, including the “Fujin Raijin Drawing” which is also designated as a national treasure. It is a tourist spot that attracts tourists as well as new highlights such as the Drawing of Dragon of the Hodo drawn in 2002.

 

Kennin-Ji

Kennin-Ji Temple was built in 1202, which is originally and officially called Higashiyama Kennin-Ji. And also It’s one of the Kyoto-Gozan which means the five most important temple of Zen as well as Nanzen-Ji. It’s located in the center of Gion district, and the oldest Zen temple in Kyoto, which provides a magnificent atmosphere, serenity, and breathtaking scenery.

Taking a Walk for free…
In the precinct of kenning-Ji, people can walk and see traditional things from outside for free. There are so many tree and flowers around there, so people can enjoy seasonal views enough although they can see and experience more and more awesome things in Kennin-Ji.

The Precinct of Kennin-Ji

 

What an Extraordinary world…
Inside Kennin-Ji main hall, where admission fees are required, are the must-see spots of there. There are so many attractive things such as the buildings, gardens, drawings which are designated as Important cultural property and national treasure.

①Breathtaking Rock Garden
There are some gardens inside Kennin-Ji, both sand gardens and green plants gardens.  First, Karesansui style garden called “Daiouen” is really famous and popular here and many people can take a rest while watching this garden.

Karesansui garden

FYI, Karesansui is basically constructed with rocks and sand. The rocks represent mountains and the sand represents the stream of water without actual water, and then totally Kare sansui can evoke magnificent expanses of ocean and beautifu flowing streams.

Small Karekusa garden

 

②Awesome Greeny Garden
There is not only Karesansui garden with rocks and sand but slao the garden with beautiful green trees as well. It’s called “Tyo-on-tei” garden, which seems like a scenery in the picture frame no matter where you look from the corridor that surrounds the garden.

Tyo-on-tei” garden

 

Black-White Drawings…
Inside Kennin-Ji, They have also great Ink painting, which is a painting drawn only with paper and ink. Using the shadeing and bleeding effects of ink well, he draws humans, animals, and nature with rich expressive power that can not be drawn with ink alone.

Ink painting

 

Lastly…
This time, we have introduced Kennin-Ji in Kyoto. When you come to Kyoto, you should visit there and see its beauty and magnificence. You can experience awesome atmosphere and nature there.

To-Be-Continued

Wonderful Kyoto-Like Temple Kennin-Ji in Kyoto. Awesome Drawings Unryuzu 目次 ~Contents~ Part1: Kennin-Ji[…]

 


・ Open: 10:00-16:00

・Admission Fee: 500yen(Adult)

・HP URL(English): https://www.kenninji.jp/english/
・Official Photo Page(English):https://global.canon/en/tsuzuri/

・Map: