Hokyo-in Temple is an independent Buddhist temple belonging to the Rinzai Sect located in Sagano, Ukyo Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture (Arashiyama).
Masatsura KUSUNOKI and Yoshiakira ASHIKAGA who were the representative person in the Period of the Northern and Southern Courts.
This temple is the rare temple where these 2 persons who were mutual enemies in the period of the Northen and Southen Courts are buried peacefully.
Hokyo-in which is the name of this temple comes from Buddhist name of the Yoshiakira ASHIKAGA.
In addition, this temple is known as the temple where colored leaves are especially beautiful in Arashiyama of Kyoto.
Contents:
- About Hokyo-in Temple
- Visitor Information
- Colored leaves of Hokyo-in Temple
- Highlights of Hokyo-in Temple
- Goshuin of Hokyo-in Temple
- How to get to Hokyo-in Temple
1.About Hokyo-in Temple
Open：9:00~16:00(closes at 16:30 during the month of November)
Admission Fee：500 yen(High school student or older),200 yen(Elementary / Junior high school student)
Address：9-1, Sagashakadomonzen Minamichuincho, Ukyo-ku Kyoto-shi, Kyoto, 616-8424, Japan
Phone Number：+81-75-861-0610
Foundation：Heian period
Founder：Emperor Shirakawa
Sect：Independently incorporated temple of the Rinzai sect
Principal image：Wooden standing statue of the Eleven-faced Kannon
Hokyo-in Temple is an independent Buddhist temple belonging to the Rinzai Sect located in Sagano, Ukyo Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture (Arashiyama).
This Temple was established as a place of prayer for Emperor Shirakawa during the Heian period and originally named Zennyu-ji Temple.
And this temple was protected by Yoshiakira ASHIKAGA who was the second generation Seii Taishogun of the Muromachi shogunate.
During the time of the eighth Shogun, Yoshimasa ASHIKAGA, this temple’s name was renamed after ‘Hokyo-in,’ the posthumous Buddhist name of Yoshiakira ASHIKAGA.
This temple is also a family temple of Masatsura KUSUNOKI who was a busho (Japanese military commander) in the Period of the Northern and Southern Courts.
While his father, Masashige, was given a honorific title of ‘Dai-Nanko’, he was called ‘Sho-nanko.’
Masatsura KUSUNOKI and Yoshiakira ASHIKAGA, they were enemies in the period of the Northern and Southern Courts (Japan).
(Masatsura KUSUNOKI is the Southern Court side and Yoshiakira ASHIKAGA is Northern Court side.)
However, Yoshiakira made a grave of Masatsura in the family temple of Yoshiakira in spite of an enemy because Yoshiakira respected Masatsura.
It is a small temple, but is also known as a famous place of colored leaves of Arashiyama, Kyoto.
An admission fee is 500 yen (Adults).
We can buy the admission ticket with an automatic ticket machine.
2.Visitor Information
When you go to Hokyo-in Temple, let’s be careful about the following points.
・It is forbidden to take big/medium-sized cameras and tripod into the temple.
Only the personal photography with the small-sized camera and smartphone is possible.
Let’s follow a rule.
3.Colored leaves of Hokyo-in Temple
Peak of the autumn leaves:Mid November – Early December
I went on December 6 A.M., and there was not so many tourist on that day.
The condition of the colored leaves in that day was approximately over 100%.
(The leaf has begun to already fall.)
From this point on, let’s watch a photo and video of Hokyo-in Temple’s autumn leaves.
■Youtube：宝筐院(嵐山･京都): Hokyo-in Temple (Kyoto, Arashiyama)
■Photo
How did you like it?
Because there are fewer tourists than November, I recommend that you go to this temple in early December.
Next, let’s watch the highlight of Enrian Temple!!
4.Highlights of Hokyo-in Temple
- 山門:San-mon gate (Temple gate)
- 本堂:Hon-do hall (Main temple)
- 庭園:Garden
- 小楠公首塚:Kubi-zuka (Mound for Severed Head) of Sho-nanko
●山門:San-mon gate (Temple gate)
This is the San-mon gate (Temple gate).
This is the Hon-do hall (Main temple) which was rebuilt in 1917.
The wooden standing statue of the Eleven-faced Kannon which is the Principal image of this temple is enshrined in this building.
The colored leaves to look at from the inside of the Hon-do hall are particularly beautiful.
●庭園:Garden
There is a circuit style garden near the Hon-do hall.
●小楠公首塚:Kubi-zuka (Mound for Severed Head) of Sho-nanko
This is the Kubi-zuka (Mound for Severed Head) of Sho-nanko (Masatsura KUSUNOKI).
This temple is also a family temple of Masatsura KUSUNOKI who was a busho (Japanese military commander) in the period of the Northern and Southern Courts (Japan).
5.Goshuin of Hokyo-in Temple
This Temple’s Sumigaki(The words which was written with a sumi(black ink)) is ‘小楠公･義詮公菩提寺‘.
‘小楠公･義詮公菩提寺’ has a meaning of following sentence.
“This temple is a family temple of Masatsura KUSUNOKI and Yoshiakira ASHIKAGA.”
6.How to get to Hokyo-in Temple
The nearest station of Hokyo-in Temple is “Randen Arashiyama Station” or “JR Saga-Arashiyama Station”.
■Route Example (From Osaka station)
■Route Example (From Namba station)
■Route Example (From Kyoto station)
■Randen Arashiyama Station→Hokyo-in Temple
We go on foot or by bus from Randen Arashiyama Station to Hokyo-in Temple.
・In the case of on foot
It’s about 20 minutes (1km).
・In the case of bus
Timetable and Route Search of bus
[Timetable]Route No.28
Bus company：Kyoto City Bus
Routes/Destination：28(Bound for Daikakuji Temple)
Boarding bus stop：Arashiyama Tenryuji-mae (Tenryuji Temple)
Alighting bus stop：Saga Shakado-mae
Bus fare：230 yen
Time required：About 6 min
How did you like it?
Please try to go to this place.
Have a nice trip! XD
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