Gangyō-ji, Buddhist temple in Yamashina district, Kyoto, Japan
Gangyō-ji is a Buddhist temple in Yamashina district that houses a principal image of Yakushi Nyorai Buddha within its layout, marked by a traditional Chinese-style gate at the entrance. The compact grounds feature classical architectural elements arranged around defined interior spaces.
The temple was founded in 877 and rose to prominence when Emperor Kazan renounced his throne and became a monk here in 986. This imperial connection shaped its standing in the regional religious landscape.
The temple hosts monthly sutra copying gatherings where visitors can engage with traditional Buddhist calligraphy as a meditative practice. These sessions connect handwriting and spiritual study in a way that remains central to the temple's daily life.
The temple is reachable in about 20 minutes on foot from Misasagi Station or 5 minutes from Kitahanazono bus stop. Visitors can enter the grounds daily between 8 AM and 5 PM.
The temple preserves a portrait of Emperor Kazan and serves as a pilgrimage site along the Saigoku Kannon temple route in Western Japan. This pilgrimage circuit links 33 temples across the region and makes this location a stop along a centuries-old spiritual journey.
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