Ninna-ji Temple is an old historic temple with the history more than 1,900 years which was founded for 888 years by the Emperor Uda.
And this temple has been designated as the Michelin green guide ★ and the World Heritage List as part of the cultural assets of ancient capital of Kyoto.
In addition, Ninna-ji Temple was the Monseki-jiin (temples of the high class) where a connection with the Imperial Family was deep and was called “Omuro-Gosho(Omuro Imperial Palace)”.
Therefore a building and a garden of the precincts in this temple are made very luxuriously.
Today Ninna-ji Temple is the main temple of the Omuro sect of Shingon Buddhism.
Contents:
- About World Heritage ‘Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto’
- About Ninna-ji Temple
- 白書院(Shiro-Shoin) and 南庭(South Garden) : pay area
- 宸殿(Shinden) and 北庭(North Garden) : pay area
- Other highlight : free area
- Omuro-Kaikan(Hotel)
- Goshuin of Ninna-ji Temple
- How to get to Ninna-ji Temple
1.About World Heritage ‘Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto’
17 places of temples and shrines of Kyoto are designated in ‘Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto’.
↓Details of the “Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto” is here.↓
Ninna-ji Temple has been designated as the World Heritage List as part of the cultural assets of ancient capital of Kyoto.
2.About Ninna-ji Temple
Ninna-ji (仁和寺 Ninna-ji) is the head temple of the Omuro school of the Shingon Sect of Buddhism. Located in western Kyoto, Japan, it was founded in AD 888 by the retired Emperor Uda. It is part of the “Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto“, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Ninna-ji was founded in the early Heian period. In 886, Emperor Kōkō ordered the construction of the Nishiyama Goganji Temple to bless the nation and propagate Buddhist teachings, but he did not live to see its completion. Emperor Uda saw the construction to its completion in 888[2] and named it “Ninna” after the regnal year of the late Emperor Kōkō’s reign. From 888 to 1869 it was traditional for reigning Emperors to send a son to the temple to take over as head priest when a vacancy arose.
引用(citation):https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ninna-ji
Open：9:00~17:00(March ~ November), 9:00~16:30(December ~ February)
Admisson Fee：500 yen(high school students or older),300 yen(middle school students or younger)
Adress：33, Omuro Ouchi, Ukyo-ku Kyoto-shi, Kyoto, 616-8092, Japan
Phone Number：+81-75-461-1155
Ninna-ji Temple is the main temple of the Omuro sect of Shingon Buddhism.
This is the Nio-mon gate(Deva gate) which is the entrance of this temple.
It is one of the three big gates of Kyoto and has been designated as an important cultural property.
This gate was erected in the Kanei era(1624 ~ 1643) year by Iemitsu Tokugawa who was the third shogun of Tokugawa shogunate government.
A Deva King image is worshiped to a Deva gate.
The Deva King image of right side which is opening mouth is “阿形(Agyo)”.
The Deva King image of left side which is closing mouth is “吽形(Ungyo)”.
“阿形(Agyo)” and “吽形(Ungyo)” have A-Un (inspiration and expiration, or alpha and omega) relationship.
We can see the 中門(Cyumon) which leads to the main hall of a Buddhist temple when we enter the entrance gate.
Imperial Palace and the Japanese garden (north/south garden) are pay areas.
Admission fee is 500 yen (Adults).
A folding screen of the gold meets us when we enter the large entrance. (○´艸｀)
Each palace are connected by the corridor.
3.白書院(Shiro-Shoin) and 南庭(South Garden) : pay area
■Youtube：仁和寺 南庭(Nantei(South Garden) of Ninnaji-temple)
The Japanese garden in the south side of the 宸殿(Shinden) is the 南庭(South Garden).
The 宸殿(Shinden) to look at from the 南庭(South Garden).
This is Ukon no Tachibana (the Mandarin Orange of the right) which is planted on the right side of the 宸殿(Shinden).
This is Sakon no Sakura (the Cherry Tree on the left) which is planted on the left side of the 宸殿(Shinden).
The sand called the Shirakawa sand is spread all over the garden neatly.
In addition, We can look at the Chokushi-mon Gate (gate for Imperial Envoys) and the Nio-mon Gate (Deva Gate) from South Garden.
This building is the 白書院(Shiroshoin).
The 白書院(Shiroshoin) is a building used as a substitute for the 宸殿(Shinden) which disappeared by a fire.
This building was built in 1890.
The fusuma picture of a pine which was drawn by 福永晴帆(Fukunaga Seihan) is displayed in the 白書院(Shiroshoin).
4.宸殿(Shinden) and 北庭(North Garden) : pay area
■Youtube：仁和寺 北庭(Hokutei(North Garden) of Ninnaji-temple)
The Japanese garden in the north side of the 宸殿(Shinden) is the 北庭(North Garden).
The north garden is a chisen kanshoshiki teien garden (literally, pond appreciation style garden).
The North Garden has a view of the Five Storeyed Pagoda which is an important cultural property and the 飛濤亭(Hitotei) which is a tea-ceremony room as its background.
宸殿(Shinden) is the most important building in this temple.
This building was built in 1914.
The gorgeous fusuma picture and the wall painting which was drawn by 原在泉(Zaisen Hara) is displayed in the 宸殿(Shinden).
This is the 霊明殿（Reimeiden） which are enshrined the mortuary tablets of the temple’s chief priests.
This is the 黒書院(Kuroshoin).
The fusuma picture which was drawn by 堂本印象(Insho Domoto) is displayed in the 黒書院(Kuroshoin).
5.Other highlight : free area
This is the 金剛華菩薩像(Kongo Bodhisattva image) which was enshrined in 1981.
This statue is considered to be the symbol of the flower arrangement of Omuro style handed down to Ninna-ji Temple.
This is the 霊宝館(Reihokan Museum).
A large number of national treasures and important cultural properties are possessed in this building.
And this museum is opened to the public in spring and fall.
This is the 中門(Cyumon) leading to main hall of a Buddhist temple and Five Storeyed Pagoda.
This gate is an important cultural property of the countries, and it is said that it was built in about 1645.
The 持国天(White Guardian of the East) is enshrined on the right side of this gate.
The 広目天(White Guardian of the West) is enshrined on the left side of this gate.
There is the forest of the aristocrat’s house cherry tree which is the natural beauty spot of the country when we pass through the 中門(Cyumon).
The Five Storeyed Pagoda which is the important cultural property of the country was built in 1644.
Sanskrit characters indicating the Dainichi Buddha are published in the first floor of the tower.
The 金堂(Kondo) in the depths of this temple is the main hall of a Buddhist temple of this temple.
This building was built in 1613.
This building has been designated as to a national treasure.
The 経蔵（Kyozo） which is the important cultural property of the country was built in about 1645.
The rotary bookshelf of the octahedron called “八角輪蔵(Hakkakurinzo)” is put in the inside of this building.
The bell tower painted in red is an important cultural property of a country built in 1644.
This is the 中門(Cyumon) of the 御影堂（Miedo）.
The 御影堂（Miedo） is appointed to the important cultural property of the country.
The Kobo Daishi (Japanese great teacher named Saint Kobo) is enshrined in this temple.
This building is the 水掛不動（MizukakeFudo）.
Acala is worshiped in this building.
This building is the 九所明神（KushoMyojin） which is dedicated to God protecting Ninna-ji Temple.
This building is appointed to the important cultural property of the country.
6.Omuro-Kaikan(Hotel)
Ninna-ji Temple has a dorter which is called 御室会館(Omuro Kaikan), and a general person can stay there.
There are three types of the room.
The hotel guest can get a free visit ticket of Ninna-ji Temple.
In addition, we can join a work of the morning of the priest.
(We can enter the main hall of a Buddhist temple of the national treasure which we usually cannot enter.)
The room reservation is possible from a homepage or a telephone(+81-75-464-3664).
Check-in time：16:00~23:00
Check-out time：9:00
Restroom and bath：Shared
Amenity：Yukata, face towel, toothbrush set, conditioner in shampoo, body soap
Wifi：available in a lobby
| Hotel plan |
Adults |
Primary schoolchild |
|---|---|---|
| including two meals [with dinner and breakfast included] |
11,000 yen | 8,900 yen |
|
including one meals |
7,200 yen | 6,600 yen |
| not including meals | 6,200 yen | 5,600 yen |
■御室会館(Omuro Kaikan) *Japanese text only
The room is not so different from a common inn. (○´艸｀)
引用(citation):http://xn--5ck5a4gob177z170cgian33q.com/japanheritage/ninnaji/
7.Goshuin of Ninna-ji Temple
We can get more than one Goshuin(shrine seal or stamp) in Ninna-ji Temple.
This time, I got two typical Goshuin.
The first Goshuin is the Goshuin which is writing in black ink of “阿弥陀如来(the Amitabha)” who is a principal idol of Ninna-ji Temple.
We can get this in a copied sutra place in front of the main hall of a Buddhist temple.
The second Goshuin is the Goshuin which is writing in black ink of “旧御室御所(Old Omuro Imperial Palace)”.
A red seal is a crest of a noble family of the chrysanthemums which is a crest of a noble family of the Imperial Family.
We can get this in Imperial Palace area.
8.How to get to Ninna-ji Temple
●World Heritage ‘Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto’
The nearest station of Ninna-ji Temple is Keifuku Railway Kitano Line Omuro-Ninnaji Station.
It is about 3-minutes walk from the station.
■Route Example (From Osaka/Hankyu Umeda)
■Route Example (From Namba)
■Route Example (From Kyoto)
■Keifuku Railway Kitano Line Omuro-Ninnaji Station→Ninna-ji Temple
How did you like it?
Please try to go.
Have a nice trip! XD
<Let’s search the sightseeing information of Kansai in Japan on ‘Japan’s Travel Manual‘!!>
<This site introduces the easiest way to get Japanese (Kansai) sightseeing spots to you.>
