Posted in calendar, travel and places, temples, kyoto on Apr 29th, 2007 2 Comments »
With the sprouting of the fresh green and the red splash of the azaleas, in May Japan bursts out in a frenzy of festivals.
[Shiobune Temple fire festival. Photo Ad Blankestijn]
Late April - Early May, Nara: Opening of Hokuendo Hall of Kofukuji (2007: 4/27-5/6).
May 1- 4, Kyoto: Nenbutsu Kyogen at Senbonshakado Temple.
One of the three greatest kyogen […]
Posted in nature, travel and places, gardens, temples, kyoto on Apr 23rd, 2007 1 Comment »
Although now most flowers are gone, last weekend (April 14-15) there were still some beautiful sakura left in Kyoto. After having seen the “Kansetsu sakura” of the Philosopher’s Path (planted by the wife of nihonga painter Hashimoto Kansetsu, in the memory of her husband) and the famous trees of Arashiyama (originally from the sacred groves […]
Posted in travel and places, religion and philosophy, museums, temples, kyoto on Apr 13th, 2007 No Comments »
There is one very special image of Sakyamuni, the historical Buddha, one that claims to be modeled after the Buddha himself, during his lifetime, and that therefore became the object of a particularly fervent popular cult in Japan in the 13th century. This wondrous image still can be seen in the Shaka-do, the Sakyamuni Hall […]
Posted in art and photography, travel and places, temples, kyoto on Apr 5th, 2007 No Comments »
Many times I have been in the East Temple, Toji, to experience its mystic three-dimensional mandalas and enjoy its other wondrous statues. It is a temple of esoteric anger and benevolence at the same time, a temple as old as the city in which it stands. Unfortunately, it lies on the wrong side of the […]
Posted in calendar, museums, temples, kyoto on Apr 4th, 2007 No Comments »
It is spring, so many Kyoto temples that are usually closed will open their doors - some only briefly. Here is a selection:
Anrakuji: weekends from April 7 to June 2 as well as the last part of Golden Week (May 3-6). Anrakuji is named after a disciple of Honen, who was executed with his colleague […]
Posted in calendar, religion and philosophy, temples, kyoto on Apr 1st, 2007 No Comments »
One of the nicest festivals in the Buddhist calendar is April 8, when the Buddha’s birthday is celebrated. The official name is Kanbutsu-e (”the bathing of Buddha”), and popularly its is called Hana Matsuri or Flower Festival. It takes place just as the sakura and other flowers are in full spring bloom. Many Buddhist temples […]
Posted in travel and places, temples, kyoto on Mar 20th, 2007 No Comments »
Now overrun by young crowds, the Shinkyogoku area originally was temple land: in the late 16th century Hideyoshi, in his remaking of the city, moved two temples, Seiganji and Konrenji here (Konrenji has since moved again). The area became a “town in front of the temple gate”, with theaters and teahouses and that is how […]
Posted in calendar, temples on Mar 9th, 2007 No Comments »
Osaka Tenmangu is dedicated to the 10th c. courtier and poet Sugawara Michizane, who was deified as the patron of scholarship and literature. There are thousands of Tenjin Shrines all over Japan, but Osaka Tenmangu is one of the most famous, together with the Kitano Tenmangu Shrine in Kyoto and the Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine in […]
Posted in culture, religion and philosophy, temples, kyoto on Jan 14th, 2007 No Comments »
Torii gates are symbols of Shinto shrines and mark their sacred space from the mundane world. The basic structure consists of two pillars with a top rail and a little below that a second horizontal rail piercing both columns, providing stability to the structure.
The greatest orgy of torii gates can be seen on the mountain […]
Posted in calendar, travel and places, temples, kyoto on Jan 11th, 2007 No Comments »
Marishi Sontendo is another temple of the boar (inoshishi) that is strong for luck and victory in this Wild Boar Year!
[Roaring wild boar in Marishi Sontendo, Kyoto. Photo Ad Blankestijn]
Zenkyoan (the formal name of the temple in question) was set up as a hermitage by the noted Chinese Zen priest Qingzhuo Zhengcheng (in Japanese: Seisetsu […]
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