Description of the attraction
There are approximately 1,600 Buddhist temples in Kyoto, of which five are called great. In 1386, control of the five great temples (Kyoto Gozan) was transferred to Nanzen-ji Temple, and since then it has been at the heart of Japanese Zen Buddhism. The shrine is the main Nanzen-ji temple of the Rinzai school. Its history began with the construction of a villa, which was built for Emperor Kameyama in the 13th century, who turned it into a Buddhist temple in 1293.
The buildings of the temple complex Dai-hojo (abbot's house) and Ko-hojo are made in the architectural style of Shinden-zukuri and are a national treasure of Japan. Partitions in these rooms are decorated with paintings by the artist Kano, including the well-known plot "Tiger drinking water".
The gates of the Sanmon Ensemble depict scenes from a kabuki production about the Japanese legendary ninja, Ishikawa Goemon. The height of the gate is 30 meters, and a wonderful view of Mount Hiei opens from their terrace. Another gate leads to the temple - Hatto.
One of the small temples of the Nanzen-ji ensemble - Tenjuan - was built in memory of the founder of Daiminkokushi in 1336-1337. Many buildings of the complex were destroyed during military clashes, but they were restored by the beginning of the 16th century and have survived in this form to the present day.
There are two gardens on the territory of the temple complex. The East Rock Garden is located in front of the main hall. Its stones resemble tigers and frolicking tiger cubs. The southern one is considered a garden for walking; in its center there are two reservoirs. The appearance of both gardens has remained virtually unchanged since the 14th century. A western-style aqueduct leads to the complex.
The temple is also famous for the fact that in 1937, perhaps the longest game of shogi took place here, lasting a week. Shogi is a chess-type logic game and is also called the "game of generals". The game between Yoshio Kimura and Sankichi Sankata was called the "Battle of Nanzen-ji".
