Myorenji-temple, discover Japanese traditional art in intimate surrounds.

Myorenji is a temple established by Nichizo saint. It is not very famous but it impressed me so much and it became one of my favorites temples in Kyoto.

Unique history of Myorenji

There was an old lady who was operating a large brewery. She listened to preaching of Saint Nichizo who just arrived in Kyoto and she became a believer of Buddhism.

Saint Nichizo had no acquaintances at that time so the old lady provided a part of her brewery as the beginning of Myorenji temple.

It moved to today’s location during the reign of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. However, it was then caught in the fire which reduced the size, but it was rebuilt in 1789 to the and remains to present day.

What you can expect in Myorenji

When I asked to enter the temple, a staff member told me that she would guide me one on one! It was my first experience to be treated like this.

There are various flowers which delight people in each season. Now it was the time to enjoy bellflowers and flowers of a sal tree. When the staff started the guided tour, two more visitors arrived and it became a small group tour.

There was only one staff member. She was explaining while holding a phone in her hand and went, back and forth when someone like a courier visited. She looked very busy.

Above all, her explanations impressed me. She never stopped talking and explained fluently. She mentioned trees and flowers in the gardens, a hanging scroll, Nichiren sect and so on….

To be honest I don’t have much knowledge and it prevented me from understanding her explanations well. However the two ladies looking around together seemed to have deep knowledge, especially about painting. The situation made me hesitant to ask “ Who is that you are talking about?”. So I just nodded quietly.

Encounter with real traditional Japanese art

It makes sense why such people who know the Japanese arts very well visit here because this temple is famous for wall paintings by Hasegawa Tohaku. Those paintings are only displayed during certain periods of the year. At the moment other paintings are displayed.

The artist is Toyokazu KONO. He is a grandson of Bairei KONO. I hear many people visit here just to see his works. I saw them by chance without any information though.

Even though I haven’t had any knowledge about them, I enjoyed the beauty very much. Four seasons were drawn separately. Every scene was impressive. Not only the perfection but also the carefully thought-out composition intended for the audience’s appreciation.

The scene of spring and summer are central but the picture of autumn was really beautiful. Turning off the light and looking with soft sunshine, silver and gold paints reflected the sunshine and the landscape seemed to emerge in the room. It made me feel like I was in a fantasy.

I though the guide’s tour would never reach its ends because the guide kept talking, but it ended as the other two ladies had to leave.

The temple is not big so it doesn’t take much time to look around. However I recommend to visit there with plenty of time and join the private guided tour. I am sure you will have a good time.

I had a chance to talk with the staff member personally and spent about one hour more with her. While we were chatting, a cleaning staff came and joined us (it is better to say that he was forced to join us…). Anyway, there are many ways to enjoy temples in Kyoto.

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