The temple stands on land that first belonged to Saishō-in (最勝院), a hermitage built by Dōchi (道智 1217-69), son of regent Kujō Michiie (九条道家).

Abdicating in 1274, Emperor Kameyama (亀山上皇) took over the grounds to make his sprawling 'Zenrinji-dono' villa (禅林寺殿).
#Nanzenji #南禅寺

Tenju-an's East Garden (東庭/aka Enmoku-tei 淵黙庭) is a dry landscape garden featuring paving stones crossing a stretch of raked gravel.
Many of these stones belonged to the original temple (more were added in 1610). The garden also features pine trees, camellia and maple.

In 1904 the monk Kozan Kyōshushi (虎山恭宗師) made considerable changes to the gardens, and it is his vision that we see at Tenju-an today.

#Tenjuan #autumn #momiji #Kyoto #Japan #Nanzenji #autumnfoliage #maple

Destroyed by a fire in 1393 and during the Ōnin War in 1447 (応仁文明の乱 1467-77), the temple was all but abandoned for many years.

150 years after the devastation of the Ōnin War the 226th head of Nanzen-ji, Genpo Reisan (玄圃霊三 1535-1608), helped revive the temple with Hosokawa Yūsai (細川幽斎 1534-1610).
Genpo’s disciple Ungaku Reikei (雲岳霊圭) became head. The current buildings date to this time.

#京都 #Kyoto #Japan #Tenjuan #Nanzenji

After various efforts to exorcise the spirit(s) failed, Kameyama requested the help of Tōfuku-ji's Mukan Fumon.

With the ghost finally gone, in 1290 a grateful emperor gifted Mukan Fumon (無関普門 1212-91) the 'Upper Palace' (上の宮) of Zenrinji-dono.
Out of the existing buildings Mukan created Nanzen-in (南禅院), which would expand to become the great Zen temple of Nanzen-ji (南禅寺).

#Nanzenji #Nanzenin #南禅寺 #autumn #momiji #zen #Kyoto