👣KYŌTO'S BLOOD CEILINGS🩸
The rear portion of the ceiling in Genkō-an's (源光庵) main hall is stained with what at first glance looks like water damage...but soon a footprint appears on the rust-coloured wood, the shape of a doll, shadowy fingertips, the fold of a kimono!
Genkō-an is 1 of 8 temples that claim to have received bloody floorboards from Momoyama Castle (伏見城/aka 桃山城), some time after the Siege of Fushimi in 1600.
These floorboards were incorporated as ceilings into the temple worship halls, in order to pray for the souls sacrificed during the siege (伏見城の戦い).
The 8 temples:
🩸Yōgen-in 南叡山養源院
🩸Hōsen-in 魚山寶泉院
🩸Shōden-ji 吉祥山正伝寺（吉祥山正傳護國禪寺)
🩸Genkō-an 鷹峰山寶樹林源光庵
🩸Kōshō-ji 佛德山興聖寺
🩸Tenkyū-in 天球院（妙心禪寺の塔頭)
🩸Shinnō-ji 絲杉山神應寺 (Yawata)
🩸Eishun-ji 指心庵栄春寺（泰澄山榮春寺 (Fushimi)
Collectively known as 'chitenjō' (血天井), these 'blood ceilings' are a grisly memorial to a pivotal moment in Japanese history when fortune swung in favour of Tokugawa Ieyasu (徳川家康 1543-1616), and the Toyotomi Clan's decline began (their destruction coming in 1615).
Genkō-an's chitenjō is one of the most accessible, and it has some of the clearest footprints.
Even after all these years the shapes caught in blood are vivid, stained deep into the boards by putrefaction.
On August 27th 1600 an assault was launched by Ishida Mitsunari (石田三成 1559-1600), representing the Western coalition of domains loyal to the ruling Toyotomi clan, against the 6 year old Fushimi Castle, held by Torii Mototada (鳥居元忠 1539-1600).
Mototada was loyal to Tokugawa Ieyasu and represented a coalition of Eastern domains attempting to overthrow the Toyotomi.
The 10 day Siege of Fushimi was a prelude to the Battle of Sekigahara (関ヶ原の戦い), in which Ieyasu became effective ruler of Japan.
Mototada holed himself up in the castle knowing only too well that he was unlikely to survive the siege. His regiment of 2000 was hopelessly outnumbered against Mitsunari's 40,000, but the purpose was not to defeat the Western Army but rather divert its attention.
Eventually the enemy gained access.
Mototada, his family, & 380 of his men barricaded themselves in.
With the battle lost, almost everyone within the palace committed ritual suicide. The floorboards were flooded with gore and blood.
In total it's said that only 10 soldiers from Mototada’s regiment survived the siege. We often remember the 380 men involved in the final stand at the castle's palatial residence, but should not forget there were an additional 1,600 men slaughtered that day.
It was some time before the bodies were cleared. By then the blood and gore were deep stains in the wood.
Ieyasu ordered the remains of the castle dismantled. Many of the buildings were moved to new homes and reconstructed.
Ishin Sūden (以心崇伝 1569–1633), abbot of Nanzen-ji (南禅寺) and close advisor to Ieyasu, was put in charge of the bloody floorboards.
Sūden ordered the boards of the 13m-long hall cut into sections and moved to a sub-temple of Nanzen-ji. For 20 years they gathered dust, but over the next 30 years they were portioned out -initially- to 7 temples (4 in the city and 3 in the suburbs).
Camellia Tea Ceremony
Christopher Keener, pHd 
Astrau