Field Trip to Kyoto Day 1 — Autumn 2014
Why Kyoto Was on My Schedule
Since I’m working for Real Japanese Gardens and have guidebooks for Japanese gardens to write, my boss decided that it would be necessary for me to visit Kyoto’s gardens more often.
Isn’t that paradise?
Of course it is.
But business is never the same as holiday, so my trip to Kyoto was also very exhausting, I can tell you!
But never mind my mourning, it’s only because of my German genes…
Planning the Garden Route
Of course, I had to plan which gardens we should visit. And THAT was not easy!
There were some points I checked:
- Which gardens do we describe on our website
- Which of these have I already visited
- From which gardens do we have no photos in stock
- Requests for eBooks
- Special autumn openings
And then they had to match a route we could handle in one day…
In the end, we did not visit a lot of gardens I would have loved to see, but we did visit many gardens with special openings. I was able to take pictures of some gardens we did not have in stock and already replaced some on our page. I could also visit two temple gardens whose eBooks are on our priority list.
From a business view, the trip was a success!
How to plan a trip to Japanese gardens
From a private view: there are too many people around at the peak of autumn colours!
But let’s get started!
Day 1 — Arrival and Uji’s Byōdō-in
After arriving at Kyoto Station, we headed out of the city to Uji.
Uji is famous for tea, but never ask someone from Shizuoka Prefecture about it! It seems as if both regions have a fight over whose tea is the better one…
In Uji lies Byōdō-in with the Amida-dō, the Phoenix Hall. Last year, in early autumn, the restoration works on the hall were completed. When I visited in 2012, I couldn’t see it, only a transparent sheet covering the whole construction site.
Byōdō-in was built in 998 (Heian period) for Minamoto no Tōru. In 1052, still in the Heian period, it became a Buddhist temple, and the Amida Hall was built one year later. You will find it and the surrounding paradise pond garden in its original state.
Amida-dō is also famous for being found on Japanese money — one time on the back of the 10 yen coin and one time with the phoenix of Byōdō-in on the 10,000 yen notes. Today it’s also hosting a museum about Amida-dō. Inside, taking photos is prohibited, but it features the wooden bodhisattva statues of the temple, which are really impressive.
The modern museum and shop were built so they don’t intrude on the garden atmosphere, and the moss Zen garden next to the shop is very appealing too. But except for the Phoenix Hall, there is not much to see of a garden.
Read more in our blog:
Changing Plans — Off to Tōfuku-ji
Because of high traffic, we changed the temple route and went to Tōfuku-ji after Byōdō-in.
It was exactly the same route I took two years ago, but don’t mind…
When you have enough time and also take this route, please visit the famous Inari Shrine, which is right on the way!
We hadn’t, so we went right to Tōfuku-ji. The only destination I had was Reiun-in, a sub-temple of Tōfuku-ji. Tōfuku-ji could also be named the “Shigemori temple” because almost all gardens were designed by him.
The most famous ones I have already visited before, but the lesser-known sub-temples were on my list. So we stepped into Funda-in first. It is the only eBook about Tōfuku-ji we have already completed, so feel free to take a look.
Get our Guide Book
This eBook introduces Funda-in, a quiet sub-temple of Tōfuku-ji in Kyoto. Known as Sesshū-ji, it features gardens designed by Sesshū and later restored by Shigemori Mirei.
Perfect for Zen garden fans and visitors seeking peaceful corners of Kyoto.
Learn more before your visit—or revisit from home.
Funda-in was built in 1321 but was burnt down in 1691. Soon after, it was rebuilt. The southern garden, with its wide gravel space, is said to be designed by famous ink painter and Zen monk Sesshū, so the sub-temple is often called “Sesshū-ji”. Shigemori Mirei added the tearoom and the eastern garden.
Crowds and Quiet — Reiun-in
On the way to Reiun-in, we crossed the famous bridge above the maple valley. But it was very crowded and I didn’t want to stop for long because all the other people also wanted to get a look and take pictures.
Reiun-in was then very quiet, and almost nobody was there. Perfect for me, as I don’t like crowded places.
The sub-temple was set up by Kiyōhōshū in 1390. Over the years, the garden fell into disrepair and was reformed by Shigemori Mirei in 1970–71 in conformity with an old picture published in the Edo period.
The stone in the centre of the Kusenhakkai garden is the Iai-seki, which symbolises Mt. Shumisen, where Buddha lives. This stone is said to have been given to the priest Shosetsu by the Hosokawa family because of his deed to the family in the Shimabara War.
With Reiun-in, the first part of our tour was finished, and we went to my hotel so I could check in. The second part of the first day was reserved for light-up events!
Evening at Myōshin-ji and Taizō-in
We went to Myōshin-ji, the head temple of the Buddhist Rinzai sect. The temple was founded by the former Emperor Hanazono in 1337 at the request of Daito Kokushi (Juho Myocho), the founder of Daitoku-ji.
I could stroll a little through the temple grounds before we met some other garden designers from Kyoto and went to a special dinner event at Taizō-in.
Taizō-in is the oldest sub-temple of Myōshin-ji and was founded by Hatano Shigemichi, a daimyo, around 1404. Besides three great gardens, Taizō-in also hosts the last remaining masterpiece of painter Josetsu, who is said to have introduced black-and-white painting to Japan. But during the guided tour through the temple, the monk (who speaks English) told us they, of course, only show a copy.
We were allowed to watch the Karesansui garden Motonobu no niwa from the main hall during the light-up event. Then we were led to the Yokōen area, passing two more Karesansui gardens — Inyō no niwa — which are separated by a giant weeping cherry tree before arriving at the pond of Yōkoen.
There, we had traditional Buddhist dinner, arranged by a star chef, at Daikū-an. After dinner, we once again had time to take pictures of the illuminated garden.
A Night Visit to Nijo-jo
After completing the photo session, we went to another evening event at Nijo-jo. The castle hosted the “Art Aquarium” event. So we had the opportunity to walk the castle grounds in dim light, which was a great experience, while the Art Aquarium itself was a disappointment.
It was an installation with different small-sized tanks in different shapes, highlighted with coloured lights, in which one could see various kinds of goldfish. But perhaps I just lack the sense for that kind of art…
End of Day One
This was the end of day one. Two more days to come!
Stay tuned ^_-
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With twelve years of professional landscaping experience under her belt, Anika Ogusu is your perfect guide to the world of Japanese gardens. Her love of nature began early, in the woods near her childhood home and the garden of her grandmother’s house. During her teenage years she developed a strong interest in Japanese culture, and after university she decided to combine her love of Japan and gardens into a profession. Anika started her career as chief gardener in charge of the perennial valley at the Botanical Garden in Hamburg, Germany, then moved to Tokyo in pursuit of her dream. For two years she apprenticed under local landscape designers and learned the art of Japanese garden design, construction and maintenance. Now, in partnership with Real Japanese Gardens (www.japanesegardens.jp), her wish is to spread the magic of Japanese gardens to the rest of the world. Her in-depth guide books on gardens throughout Japan are available in eBook format or paperback. In her free time, Anika enjoys exploring her adopted country (especially green moss gardens), and soaking up nature and any details that interest her.
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With twelve years of professional landscaping experience under her belt, Anika Ogusu is your perfect guide to the world of Japanese gardens. Her love of nature began early, in the woods near her childhood home and the garden of her grandmother’s house. During her teenage years she developed a strong interest in Japanese culture, and after university she decided to combine her love of Japan and gardens into a profession. Anika started her career as chief gardener in charge of the perennial valley at the Botanical Garden in Hamburg, Germany, then moved to Tokyo in pursuit of her dream. For two years she apprenticed under local landscape designers and learned the art of Japanese garden design, construction and maintenance. Now, in partnership with Real Japanese Gardens (www.japanesegardens.jp), her wish is to spread the magic of Japanese gardens to the rest of the world. Her in-depth guide books on gardens throughout Japan are available in eBook format or paperback. In her free time, Anika enjoys exploring her adopted country (especially green moss gardens), and soaking up nature and any details that interest her.
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