Yōgen-in, Buddhist temple in Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, Japan
Description
Yōgen-in is a Buddhist temple in Higashiyama-ku, eastern Kyoto, and an Important Cultural Property of Japan. The main hall has wooden floorboards and traditional sliding doors decorated with paintings of white elephants, Chinese lions and other creatures.
History
The original structure was founded in 1594 by Yodo-dono to honor her father Azai Nagamasa. After a fire in 1619, reconstruction took place in 1621 under Tokugawa supervision.
Culture
The name refers to the posthumous Buddhist title Yōgen given to Azai Nagamasa. The corridor ceiling boards show dark marks believed to be blood traces from samurai who committed ritual suicide during the Siege of Fushimi.
Practical
Access is through a small entrance near Sanjusangen-do, from which a short path leads to the main building. The grounds can be explored in about 30 minutes and sit slightly away from major routes.
Did you know?
The sliding doors feature works by Tawaraya Sōtatsu, one of the most important painters of the Rinpa school in the early 17th century. His depictions of kirin and other mythical beings belong to the few surviving works by this artist in temple buildings.
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