Tenryu-ji Temple

This is the head temple of the Tenryuji sect of the RInzai school. It was founded by Ashikaga Takauji in 1339, during the early Muromachi period, in memory of Emperor Go-daigo, with Muso Kokushi (the eminent Zen master Muso Soseki) appointed as founding abbot. It was ranked first among Kyoto's Five Mountains of Zen temples. The temple’s precincts, which stretch across the site of Emperor Go-Saga’s Kameyama detached palace, are both Japan’s first historic site and special scenic beauty. They were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994 as a part of the “Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto”.

Since its founding, Tenryu-ji has been ravaged by 8 major fires, and most of the current halls were rebuilt during the Meiji period. The Sogenchi Teien, on the other hand, retains its original appearance, which is a strolling pond garden with Arashiyama and Kameyama in the background, and is said to have been designed by the founder of the temple, Muso Kokushi. It is one of the best gardens in Japan, in harmony with the elegance of the royal culture and the severity of the Song and Yuan cultures.

The highlight of the halls is a large painting screen of Bodhidharma in front of the entrance hall of Kuri (Living hall). It was painted by the Rev. Hirata Seiko, the former Chief Abbot, and portrays the Zen Buddhism’s founder, Bodhidharma, with a unique touch and expression. It is a masterpiece symbolizing a Zen temple and representing the face of this temple.

The most famous symbol of Tenryu-ji Temple is Unryuzu (Cloud-Dragon Painting), the painting of dragons on the ceiling of Hatto (Dharma Hall). Originally it was painted by Shonen Suzuki in the Meiji period, but due to severe damage, a portion of the painting was reserved. The current Unryuzu was painted by Matazo Kayama, as part of the project commemorating the 650th anniversary of the death of Tenryu-ji’s founder, Muso Kokushi on October 30, 2000. The ceiling of 10.6 meters long and 12.6 meters wide was covered with 159 cedar planks, each 3 centimeters thick, and a 9-meter-diameter double circle with a magnificent depiction of a dragon painting glaring in all directions. The size, power, and depiction are all dynamic and breathtaking.