Discover a Quiet and Peaceful side of Kyoto
Rokuo-in Temple is located in the Saga area of Ukyo Ward, Kyoto, about a five-minute walk from Rokuou-in Station on the Randen line.
It is said to have been founded by Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, the third shogun of the Muromachi Shogunate, who prayed there for a long life.
In addition to housing numerous historical treasures, the temple boasts a magnificent garden that incorporates the scenery of Mount Arashiyama as a borrowed landscape.
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Tatami mats are placed in front of the “Maitreya Bodhisattva in Meditation” (featuring a faint, archaic smile), allowing visitors to sit and contemplate the statue at their leisure.
The temple grounds are spacious and offer a very quiet atmosphere.
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Enshrined at the front of the Tennouden (Hall of the Heavenly Kings)—a National Treasure—is a golden statue of Hotei-son, depicted with a broad smile and a large belly. In China, Hotei-son is regarded as an incarnation of Maitreya Bodhisattva and serves as a symbolic figure of Manpuku-ji Temple.
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As the head temple of the Obaku school—founded by the eminent Chinese Zen master Ingen Ryūki—it retains the atmosphere of China’s Ming Dynasty, distinguishing it from typical Japanese temples.
Three of its main structures, including the *Hattō* (Dharma Hall), have been designated as National Treasures.
The temple grounds are expansive and offer many sights to see; I was able to tour the site in a wonderfully tranquil atmosphere.
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Located south of Shimogamo Shrine, this site features a quiet garden and a traditional Japanese house that evokes a sense of nostalgia.
It is open to the public as the former villa of the wealthy Mitsui merchant family.
When I visited, the bellflowers were in beautiful bloom.
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