Description of the attraction
The Kodai-ji Temple was built in 1605 by an inconsolable woman who lost her beloved spouse - the commander and ruler Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who is known for uniting the fragmented lands of the country under his rule. His wife was named Kita-no-Mandokoro, and then took the name Kodayin. During her lifetime, the temple belonged to the Zen Soto sect, and after the death of the founder, it was taken over by the Rinzai school.
The temple is located in the Higashiyama area and is located near the Buddhist complex of temples Kiyomizu-dera, as well as from the Yasaka Pagoda (or Hokan-ji) - an architectural monument of the 6th century surrounded by residential buildings. The pagoda, which is more than one and a half thousand years old, is one of the popular attractions in Kyoto, although it is located a little off the main tourist routes.
Kodai-ji Temple is located on the slopes of the Higashiyama Mountains. During its construction, a tiered layout was used; the design of the building was carried out by the master of his time, Kobori Enshu. In the upper tier there is a tea ceremony house. At first, he was in Toyotomi Hideyoshi's castle, and after the death of the ruler, he was transferred to the temple. It was arranged by the master of tea ceremonies and friend of the ruler Sen no Rikyu.
In the middle tier there are the main buildings of the temple - the chapel of veneration of the founder of the temple, the abbot's house, another teahouse, as well as a garden and two ponds named "Lying Dragon" and "Young Moon". Over one of the ponds there is a covered bridge with a gazebo, in which, according to legend, the widow Hideyoshi admired the shining of the moon and its reflection in the mirror of the lake. The garden has been preserved almost in the original form in which it was laid in the beginning of the 17th century.
Next to the temple is a large statue of Ryondzan-Kannon - the Japanese analogue of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara in a female form, the personification of compassion. In addition, at night on the territory of the temple, special lighting is turned on, and the garden is “painted” with multi-colored projectors.
