Taizō-in
Encyclopedia
is the oldest sub-temple of the Myōshin-ji
Rinzai Zen
Buddhist temple, situated in the northwest of Kyoto
, Japan
. It was founded by Zen priest Muinsoin in 1404. The original temple buildings were burned during the Ōnin War
(1467-1477), and were later rebuilt.
Taizō-in is well known for its two gardens. The main garden, Motonobu-no-niwa, is a traditional Japanese dry landscape garden
(karesansui), containing several angular rocks suggesting the cliffs of the island of Hōrai, with smaller stones suggesting a stream. The planting is mostly evergreen
, including camellia
, pine
, and Japanese umbrella pine. It covers 50 tsubo
(170 m²) and was designed to integrate with the "borrowed scenery" of a view of Narabigaoka Hill in the distance. It is thought to be the final work of Muromachi painter Kanō Motonobu
(狩野 元信), reproducing one of his paintings in three dimensions.
A new pond garden, or yoko-en, was designed by Kinsaku Nakane in 1963-1966. The new garden is large enough for visitors to walk in, and contains azalea
s and a stream that cascades along the main axis, directly toward the main viewing position. The stream flows around rocks, gradually widening until it empties into a pool in front of the viewer.
Taizō-in holds one of Japan's oldest ink paintings, , c.1413, by , which is a National Treasure of Japan
. It is identified as a turning point in Muromachi painting, and represents a Zen koan.
Myoshin-ji
is a temple complex in Kyoto, Japan. The Myōshin-ji school of Rinzai Zen Buddhism is the largest school in Rinzai Zen. This particular school contains within it more than three thousand temples throughout Japan, along with nineteen monasteries. The head temple was founded in the year 1342 by the...
Rinzai Zen
Zen
Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...
Buddhist temple, situated in the northwest of Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. It was founded by Zen priest Muinsoin in 1404. The original temple buildings were burned during the Ōnin War
Onin War
The ' was a civil war that lasted 10 years during the Muromachi period in Japan. A dispute between Hosokawa Katsumoto and Yamana Sōzen escalated into a nationwide war involving the Ashikaga shogunate and a number of daimyo in many regions of Japan....
(1467-1477), and were later rebuilt.
Taizō-in is well known for its two gardens. The main garden, Motonobu-no-niwa, is a traditional Japanese dry landscape garden
Japanese rock garden
The or "dry landscape" gardens, often called "Zen gardens", are a type of garden that features extensive use of rocks or stones, along with plants native to rocky or alpine environments that were influenced mainly by Zen Buddhism and can be found at Zen temples of meditation.- Overview :Japanese...
(karesansui), containing several angular rocks suggesting the cliffs of the island of Hōrai, with smaller stones suggesting a stream. The planting is mostly evergreen
Evergreen
In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
, including camellia
Camellia
Camellia, the camellias, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Theaceae. They are found in eastern and southern Asia, from the Himalaya east to Korea and Indonesia. There are 100–250 described species, with some controversy over the exact number...
, pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
, and Japanese umbrella pine. It covers 50 tsubo
Tsubo
Japanese words have the following meanings:*pressure point in the context of traditional medicine*a Japanese unit of measure*Cooking pot or a similar vessel...
(170 m²) and was designed to integrate with the "borrowed scenery" of a view of Narabigaoka Hill in the distance. It is thought to be the final work of Muromachi painter Kanō Motonobu
Kano Motonobu
Kanō Motonobu was a Japanese painter. He was a member of the Kanō school of painting.Kano Motonobu's father was Kanō Masanobu, the founder of the Kanō school....
(狩野 元信), reproducing one of his paintings in three dimensions.
A new pond garden, or yoko-en, was designed by Kinsaku Nakane in 1963-1966. The new garden is large enough for visitors to walk in, and contains azalea
Azalea
Azaleas are flowering shrubs comprising two of the eight subgenera of the genus Rhododendron, Pentanthera and Tsutsuji . Azaleas bloom in spring, their flowers often lasting several weeks...
s and a stream that cascades along the main axis, directly toward the main viewing position. The stream flows around rocks, gradually widening until it empties into a pool in front of the viewer.
National treasures of Japan
National Treasures are the most precious of Japan's Tangible Cultural Properties, as determined and designated by the Agency for Cultural Affairs...
. It is identified as a turning point in Muromachi painting, and represents a Zen koan.
External links
- Taizō-in Official website
- Head Temples of Zen Buddhism