Jikō-in, Buddhist temple in Yamatokoriyama, Japan
Jikō-in is a Buddhist temple in Yamatokoriyama featuring thatched-roof buildings that house two specially designed tea rooms called Kōrinan and Kansashitsu. These rooms are designated cultural properties with carefully crafted interiors and gardens that incorporate the surrounding landscape into their design.
The temple was established in 1663 to honor the father of a local feudal lord and support the development of the Sekishu tea style. This founding purpose shaped its role as a place where this particular tea practice has continued to be cultivated.
The temple represents the lineage of Sekishu-style tea ceremony, which visitors can see reflected in how the two tea rooms are arranged and used today. This particular approach to the tea ritual has shaped how many practitioners understand this traditional practice.
The temple is open to visitors on most days, and you can spend as much time as you wish exploring the grounds at a leisurely pace. It helps to wear comfortable shoes since you will remove them indoors and walk through various sections of the site.
The garden employs white sand patterns and carefully trimmed azalea bushes to create a composition that draws in both the immediate space and the distant Yamato mountains. This play between near and far gives the place a sense of spatial depth that many visitors find quietly striking.
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