As I wrote in the previous post, on the morning of 1st May hubby and I visited Higashi Honganji Temple in Kyoto. Next, we visited Nishi Honganji Temple about which I will write in this post. I have written about the history of this temple in the previous post. Nishi Honganji Temple is formally known as Honganji and is the head temple of Jodo Shinshu Honganji-ha sect of Buddhism. Monk Shinran was the founder of Jodo Shinshu teachings. In 1591, Honganji Temple was built at Horikawa Shichijo, Kyoto by Toyotomi Hideyoshi after Ishiyama Honganji, the former head temple in Osaka, was destroyed by Oda Nobunaga. This Honganji Temple precincts was renamed as Nishi Honganji in 1602 when Tokugawa Ieyasu split the temple into two, the other being Higashi Honganji. In Nishi Honganji Temple precincts there are many buildings built around the 17th century. Some of these structures are designated as national important cultural properties and several other structures are designated as national treasures that represent the culture of the transitional time from Azuchi-Momoyama period through the beginning of Edo period. In 1994, the entire precinct was designated as a UNESCO world cultural heritage site.
Nishi Honganji Temple is located about 1.4 kilometers northwest of Kyoto railway station and 1.3 kilometers west of Higashi Honganji Temple. The east side of the temple faces Horikawa Street, and is to the north of Shichijo Street. It took us about 15 minutes to walk from Higashi Honganji to Nishi Honganji Temple. We reached the front of Goeidomon Founder’s Hall Gate, which is one of the main gates located on the east side of Nishi Honganji Temple complex. The gate is an impressive structure and has a beautiful lantern hanging from its roof. We took several photos of the gate from various angles and positions.
On entering the temple precincts, we saw a huge 400 year old Ginkgo tree as well as a lotus shaped water fountain to our right. Lotus is a central symbol of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism.
Goeido Founder’s Hall is located to the west of Goeidomon Gate inside the temple complex. Goeido Hall was rebuilt in 1636, and a major restoration work was completed in April 2009. The hall is a large wooden structure that has a width of 62 meters and a depth of 48 meters, and stands 29 meters tall. The centerpiece of the altar consists of a wooden statue of Monk Shinran. Important services and events are held at this hall. The building is an important cultural property. Presently, the front of the hall is covered with a white sheet like structure in preparation of the memorial services and commemorative events that are being held this year to mark the occasion of 750th anniversary of the death of Monk Shinran. Although we could not enter inside the hall from its front entrance, we could enter through a side corridor passage that connects Goeido Hall and another hall named Amidado.
Next, we moved towards the northern area inside this section of the temple precincts. Here we saw a gate named Amidadomon which is located to the north of Goeidomon Gate, on the east side of the temple complex. Amidadomon is a grand structure and is the entrance gate for Amidado Hall. We took several photos of the gate from various angles and positions.
I washed my hands at a water house located slightly southwest of Amidadomon Gate inside the temple precincts. Washing the hands is a symbolic act to clean the mind and body of impurity.
Amidado Hall is located to the west of Amidadomon Gate inside the temple complex. Amidado Hall was rebuilt in 1760. The hall is a wooden structure that has a width of 45 meters and a depth of 42 meters, and stands 25 meters tall. A wooden statue of Amida Nyorai is enshrined in the central altar, flanked by portraits of the seven patriarchs from India, China, and Japan. This building is also known as Hondo Main Hall and is an important cultural property. The verandah as well as inside the hall is elegantly decorated. It was very serene and peaceful atmosphere inside the hall and I prayed here for some time.
There is a roofed passage corridor that connects Amidado Hall and Goeido Hall. From the south side of Amidado Hall, we walked on this corridor and reached the north side of Goeido Hall. The corridor roof is lined with hanging metal lanterns. There was a beautiful decoration kept just outside the corridor. As I mentioned earlier the front entrance of Goeido Hall was closed, and so we entered inside Goeido Hall from a small north entrance and prayed. Afterwards we returned back to the front of Amidado Hall via the connecting corridor. We were a bit tired of walking since morning and so we rested on the verandah of Amidado Hall for some time.
Next, we saw a building named Sampai Kaikan located in the northeast corner of this section of the temple precincts. The building is used as a reception area for visitors and followers. We saw a huge bell displayed in front of this building. This bell was made in Heian period, weighs 1800 kilograms, and is 158.2 centimeters tall. The height to diameter ratio of the bell is high which makes the shape of the bell appear well balanced and slim. The bell initially belonged to Koryuji Temple in Kyoto. In 1547 it was moved to Ishiyama Honganji in Osaka, and in 1620 it was brought to Nishi Honganji in Kyoto. It is an important cultural property.
Kyozo Scripture Repository is located to the south of Sampai Kaikan. The building was built by Jakunyo, the 14th successor of Monk Shinran, to commemorate the 17th memorial anniversary of the 13th successor Ryonyo. The architectural design of Kyozo is wonderful. The building houses Daizokyo or the entire collection of Buddhist texts and scriptures published by Monk Tenkai in woodblock form. The writing of Daizokyo was completed in 1635 and presented to the temple by Tokugawa government in 1648. Kyozo is normally not open to the public for viewing except during special annual services.
Afterwards we walked back to the southern area inside this section of the temple precincts. We saw Shoro bell tower located south of Goeidomon Gate on the eastern side of the temple complex. The wooden bell tower has beautiful colored carvings.
Shoro bell tower
A wonderful building named Hiunkaku pavilion is located in the southeast corner of this section of the temple precincts. It is one of Kyoto’s three best pavilions along with Kinkakuji and Ginkakuji pavilions. The building is a three-storied structure originally built as Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s personal residence and was a part of his Kyoto palace named Jurakudai. It is thought that the pavilion was moved to the temple precincts in about 1610. The first floor contains the main reception rooms. Portraits of celebrated poets are painted on the walls of the second floor, and the star-gazing tower tops the pavilion. The building has shingled roof. This building is one of the finest examples of Azuchi-Momoyama period architecture and is designated as a national treasure. It is open for public viewing a few times a year, so we could only see a portion of the pavilion structure rising over a bamboo fence. From outside the fence, we could see a part of the second floor with paintings of poets on its walls, the third floor, and the shingled roof of these two floors.
Next, we walked from the east towards the west in the southern area of this section of the temple precincts. To our right, located to the southwest of Goeido Hall, we saw another building named Shoin, which is a national treasure. It is a gorgeous structure of Azuchi-Momoyama period. The inside of the building is richly decorated with wall and screen paintings dating from early Edo period. Shoin Chambers consist of Taimensho Main Audience Hall and several auxiliary chambers such as the Chambers of Sparrows, Wild Geese, and Chrysanthemum. Taimensho Chamber was constructed separately from Shiro Shoin, located behind it, during Kanei era. The two were later brought together. Another group of rooms named Chambers of Waves, Tigers, and Drums are the oldest of Shoin Chambers and are important cultural property. The main entrance of Shoin building was not open and so I guess it is closed to the public. As we walked further towards the west, to our right we saw a few gates and a white fence that encloses Shoin building.
On walking further west in the southern area of the temple complex, we reached a main entrance hall named Ogenkan which is the entrance to the audience chambers and is located to the south of the chambers. Ogenkan Hall has Irimoya architectural style and has an undulated Chinese style gable on the front. The hall is utilized to receive guests on the occasion of formal observances. Although it is unknown when this hall was built, it already existed in 1760 during Monk Shinran’s 500th memorial observance.
Next, we saw Ogenkanmon Gate which is located to the south in front of Ogenkan Hall. This gate was completed in 1847 and has guardhouses on both the left and right, which reveals the importance of the gate.
From here, we turned around and started walking back towards the east in the southern section of the temple precincts. To our right, we saw Karamon Gate which stands before the audience chambers. It is a four pillared ceremonial gate with arched Chinese style roof of cypress bark. It is lacquered black and has painted carvings of dragons, lions, tigers, peacocks, and mythical beasts against backgrounds of clouds, peonies, pine trees, and bamboos. It is said to have served as the Imperial messenger gate at Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s Momoyama Castle in Fushumi, south of Kyoto. The gate shows the grand architectural style of Azuchi-Momoyama period and is designated as a national treasure. We took several photos of the gate from various positions and angles.
We walked back to the eastern side of the temple complex and left the temple. We loved visiting Nishi Honganji Temple. Next, we visited Yasaka Shrine about which I will write in the next post.
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