Kennin-ji
Kennin-ji is the first Zen temple in Kyoto. It was founded in 1202 by Eisai on land provided by Minamoto no Yoriie (the son of Minamoto no Yoritomo and Hōjō Masako). Kennin-ji is the main temple of the Rinzai sect. Historically, it has been considered one of the most important Zen temples in Kyoto, named as one of the Kyoto Gozan (Five Mountains).
Its founder Eisai had studied on Mt. Hiei in the Tendai tradition. Eisai traveled to China where he learned about Zen. He became the Master of Religious ceremonies under Minamoto no Yoritomo and spiritual advisor to Hōjō Masako in Kamakura. He is credited with establishing Zen as a separate tradition and the popularization of drinking green tea in Japan. Eisai died in 1215 at the age of seventy-four and is buried in Kennin-ji’s temple grounds.
The founder of the Sōtō sect, Dōgen trained at Kennin-ji.
Over the centuries, like many other sites in Kyoto, Kennin-ji has been damaged, burnt, and rebuilt several times. Initially, the temple had seven principal buildings. However, not long after it was built it suffered fire damage. Kennin-ji was rebuilt in the mid-13th century by Enni, who studied under Eisai, and was the founder of Tōfuku-ji. (Enni is reputed to have brought udon noodles from China to Japan.)
Presently Kennin-ji’s buildings include the Abbotts’s quarters (Hōjō), dating from 1599; the Dharma Hall (Hatto) built in 1765; a tea house built in 1587 under design of Sen No Rikyū for Toyotomi Hideyoshi; and the Imperial Messenger Gate (Chokushimon) dating from the Kamakura Period (that still shows arrow marks from past conflicts).
Kennin-ji features art and is a great place for meditation. Chō-on-tei Garden “the garden of the sound of the tide” is a simple and refined Zen garden with 3 stones representing Buddha and two Zen monks and maple trees. It is not unusual to find visitors meditating.
Kennin-ji’s most distinctive symbols are The Wind God (Fūjin or Futen) and Thunder Gods (Raijin). These two are very important in the Shinto religion (the native religion of Japan) and in Japanese mythology. The painting of these gods was made by Tawaraya Sotatsu on folding screens is considered a National Treasure.
Sotatsu (1570 – 1640) designed furniture and was a cofounder, with his partner Hon’ami Kōetsu, of the Rinpa School of painting in the Edo Period. Sotatsu is best known for his byōbu (folding fans) and for their collaborations where Sotatsu paints and Kōetsu provides calligraphy.
Kennin-ji features artwork from other notable artists such as Tamura Sōryū and Hashimoto Kansetsu. Hachimoto Kansetsu (1883 – 1945) was a nihinga (Japanese style paintings) painter who worked in Kyoto. He often visited China and many of his paintings were inspired by Chinese scenery and Chinese classical literature. Tamura Sōryū, also known as Tamura Gessho, (1846 – 1918) studied Buddhist painting at Rokkakudo Temple (the birthplace of ikebana) and later studied Western oil painting techniques. He taught at the Kyoto Prefectural School of Painting) Western-style painting.
A recent addition to Kennin-ji’s artwork is 2002 is the dramatic two dragon painting on the ceiling symbolizing Buddha’s teachings by Koizumi Junsaku (1924 – 2012) to commemorate the 800th anniversary in 2002. It measures 11.4 m x 15.7 m.