Eikan-dō Zenrin-ji Temple, Buddhist temple in Sakyō-ku, Japan
Eikan-dō Zenrin-ji is a Buddhist temple in Sakyō-ku whose halls are built at different heights on the Higashiyama slope and linked by covered walkways and staircases. The main gate is a Kōrai-mon, a gate type named after the ancient Korean kingdom of Goguryeo, and the inner gate is a Yakui-mon; both derive from fortress gates of the aristocratic mansion that preceded the temple. The Amida Hall stands higher on the slope than the Founder's Hall, and the three-story pagoda occupies the highest point of the compound.
Shinshō, a student of Kūkai, founded this site in 853 as a hermitage for Shingon practice. By the 12th century it became the head temple of the Seizan branch of Jōdo Buddhism, which remains based here today.
The temple is commonly called Eikan-dō after the seventh head monk Yōkan (1033–1111), who lived here; the characters are read "Eikan" in the kan-on reading, while his name uses the go-on reading "Yōkan". Its other name, Zenrin-ji, means "Temple of Forest of Zen", though it belongs to the Jōdo (Pure Land) school. The main image, the Mikaeri Amida, is a 77.6 cm wooden standing statue from the late 12th century, designated an Important Cultural Property in 1999.
The grounds occupy a slope of Higashiyama, with the main gate at the foot and the Tahōtō at the highest point. Covered stairways and walkways link the halls, so reaching the upper buildings involves climbing; sturdy shoes help. The temple is about ten minutes on foot from Keage Station on the Tozai subway line.
The halls are linked by wooden corridors that creak quietly underfoot, a feature of traditional carpentry in this region. At certain points, windows in the walkways offer views of treetops that glow red and orange during autumn.
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