Shokoku-ji Temple

Kinkaku, The Golden Pavilion that is formally named Rokuon-ji is very popular with tourists and locals alike, but it is one of many sub-temples. The headquarters is Shokoku-ji Temple. At present it has over 100 sub-temples under its administration. It is said the temple owned 330milion square meters when it was built. So I can’t imagine the immeasurable power they must have had. Priests in Shokoku-ji Temple are still also operating Kinkakuji and Ginkakuji today.

Shokoku-ji is located in the northern area of Kyoto Imperial Place, next to Doshisha University. When you walk into the temple, you can find the Dharma Hall in the center standing majestically. It is the oldest Dharma Hall in Japan today. Which explains why it gave me such a strong impression. There were not as many visitors today which helped to maintain a solemn atmosphere inside the Hall.

It is nice just to walk around the precinct, but if you can the Hall is certainly worth seeing. As soon as I entered the Hall, I was in awe not just at the history but also at the very high ceiling and the dragon painting drawn on an overwhelming scale. The dragon is well-known as “ Nirami-Ryu” and is painted as such so that his eyes will follow you around the room no matter where you go. Also, “Naki-Ryu” which is the cry of the dragon and is the sounds left behind by the echoes when we clap our hands under the dragon. I tried clapping my hands together but couldn’t make any good echoes so there was no cry unfortunately. Maybe there needed to be more people clapping to make clear echoes because the Hall has such a wide space.

If you are interested in entering the hall or visiting the Abbot’s chamber, please check the schedule because access is limited.

Website of Shokoku-ji (Japanese only)

#English #temple #Kyoto #Japaneseculture