智積院の屏風Chishakuin Temple is justly famous for its panel paintings and its gardens. It is located just across the street from the Hyatt hotel and Kyoto National Museum.
It was originally built at Koyasan, a holy mountain in Wakayama Prefecture, in memory of Toyotomi Hideyoshi's son Sutemaru, who died at age three. The buildings were moved to Kyoto in 1598 on the orders of Tokugawa Ieyasu.
In 1674, the main garden was rebuilt but later destroyed by fire.
Chishakuin's garden, which is thought to be the work of Momoyama Period tea master Sen no Rikyu (1522-1591), is known for the fabulous azaleas which bloom in late April and early May.
In addition to its gardens, it is the paintings at Chishakuin that draw in the crowds. They are done on panels and are believed to be the work of Hasegawa Tohaku and his son Kyuzo.
Roughly half of the original paintings remain. Within the temple, “Pine Tree and Flowering Plants," “Cherry and Maple Trees," “Pine and Plum Trees” are in particular magnificent.
For those in Kyoto on June 15, it is worth stopping in on the Green Leaf Festival at Chishakuin. This celebrates the birth of founder Kukai, (aka, Kobo-Daishi, 744-835). The festival is a fire ceremony, which is a symbolic link between heaven and earth.
Information
Hours: 9 am - 4 pm
Fee: 500 yen for adults
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