Kyoto: City of Zen | Book Redesign

京都 KYOTO

City of Zen

Visiting the Heritage Sites of Japan’s Ancient Capital

Judith Clancy Photography by Ben Simmons

KYOTO City of Zen Visiting the Heritage Sites of Japan’s Ancient Capital

Judith Clancy Photography by Ben Simmons

TUTTLE Publishing Tokyo | Rutland, Vermont | Singapore

CONTENTS 1 一

2 二

INTRODUCING KYOTO

CENTRAL & EASTERN KYOTO

6 KYOTO: CITY OF ZEN

12

Brief History of Japan’s Ancient Capital

16

Zen Buddhism and the Tea Ceremony

20

Architectural Heritage

22

Unique Kyoto Food Traditions

24

Kyoto’s Exquisite Arts and Crafts

32

Kyoto’s Imperial Palace

36

Nijo Castle

38

Heian Shrine

44

Downtown Kyoto

48

Gion District

52

Kiyomizu Temple

56

Kennin-ji Temple

60

Nanzen-ji Temple

3 三

NORTHERN KYOTO

66 Ginkaku-ji 70 The Philosopher’s Path 74 Shisendo Temple 76 Shugakuin Imperial Villa 78 Shimogamo and Kamigamo Shrines 80 Daitoku-ji Temple Complex 84 Mount Hiei and Enryaku-ji Temple 88 Kurama Village 90 Ohara Village

4 四

WESTERN KYOTO

96 Kinkaku-ji Temple 100 Ryoan-ji Temple 104 Ninna-ji Temple 106 Myoshin-ji Temple 108 Arashiyama 114 Sagano Village 116 Takao Village

5 五

SOUTHERN KYOTO

122 Tofuku-ji Temple 124 Fushimi Inari Shrine 128 Saiho-ji Temple 130 Katsura Imperial Villa 134 Daigo-ji Temple 136 Byodo-in Temple 138 Ujigami Shrine and Genji Museum 142 Bibliography and Glossary 144 Dedications and Acknowledgments

CONTENTS 7

四 CHAPTER 4

Western Kyoto

Late afternoon visitors near the gigantic gate of Nanzen-ji Temple.

The Phoenix Hall at Byodo-in Temple, a World Heritage Site.

20 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCING KYOTO

ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE 建築 Japan’s indigenous kami, or gods, live not inside shrines but within the towering cypress trees, sacred springs and waterfalls that surround the buildings. There, in nature, devotees can stand in the spiritual presence of the gods while seeking favor and guidance. The simplicity of a Shinto shrine never competes with its natural setting.

Under Shintoism, Japanese have stood in awe of the power and beauty of nature and the religion’s simple shrines embody this reverence.

The torii that marks the shrine entrance is often marked by four pieces of timber. These gates invite those closest to the gods, their feathery messengers the birds, to sit on the crossbeams, ready to wing supplicants’ prayers heavenward.

Temples are an entirely different affair. When Buddhism arrived in Japan in the 6th century, Japan, still without an alphabet, relied on written Chinese to convey the tenets of religion, law and philosophy. Scholars, diplomats and artisans were invited to the Nara count (60 kilmoters away) to impart a culture distinctly different from­— and admired as superior to—Japan’s. With its sophisticated philosophy and texts, Buddhism immediately appealed to Japan’s courtiers who controlled the privilege of literacy, but the religion rapidly reached even illiterate peasants and merchants.

The Chinese adaptation of the Indian religion brought new dimensions of the understanding of the universe and life beyond this one. This new theology was not grounded in the immensity of a cypress tree or the roar of a waterfall. It demanded human-made artifacts: a written text, a myriad

of implements, statuary and, grandest of all, huge structures to accomodate believers.

By 596, temple construction had begun.

Chinese carpenters were invited to Nara and introduced their techniques to a wonderstruck population. The temples we see today in Kyoto, although fairly faithful descendants of Japan’s 6th-10th century originals, differ greatly from those still in existence in China. Japan’s climate and earthquake-prone land made elevated buildings a necessity. Its rich supply of zelkova, cypress, oak and cedar forests lent itself to increasingly mammoth worship halls as the population embraced the comfort of salvation within a Buddhist paradise. Not only did places of worship begin to be shaped in Kyoto, but some of the world’s greatest collections of Buddhist images are found here.

One of Asia’s most iconic forms, the pagoda, continues to pierce the ancient skyline, serving as a reliquary for Buddha’s remains and as a revered landmark for Kyoto residents.

The buildings themselves, tested by earthquakes, fire and war, withstood all sorts of disaster, and when the fell into disrepair, skilled carpenters, known as miyadaiku, restored them.

With new sects entering Japan, new temple compounds were established. The last Buddhist sect to come was Zen, which entered in the late 12th century, and played a major role in Kyoto’s architectural, political and religious heritage. Thus, one of Asia’s most resplendant cities developed and matured, along with the skills of its talented craftsmen and artists.

“Under Shintoism, Japanese have stood in awe of the power and beauty of nature and the religion’s simple shrines embody this reverence.”

ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE 21

Photograph of the Heian Shrine’s rooftop. The addition of roof tiles began in the 6th century as Chinese building techniques began to enter Japan.

and justifiably so. Curiously, given the hundreds of shrines in the city, this is one of the newest.

Heian Jingu was constructed in 1895 to commemorate 1,100 years of the city's founding, and dedicated to emperors Kammu (Kyoto’s first emperor, 794) and Komei (1831–67, father of the Meiji Emperor). The setting is a little east of the Kamo River, thus outside the ancient city proper, but a splendid site to construct one of the city's most gorgeous stroll gardens. The present buildings, with their vermilion woodwork and green tile roofs, closely resemble the original palace, but were constructed at two-thirds the original size. Ablaze in sunlight, they are a notable testament to Japanese carpentry skills. Entrance

40 CHAPTER 2 CENTRAL AND EASTERN KYOTO

to the shrine is free but the expansive stroll garden requires a fee. Designed by Ogawa Jihei (18o0– 1933), one of Kyotos foremost gardeners, the grounds blend contemporary and ancient aesthetics. Copious and innovative use of flowering plants is incorporated into the millennium-old layout favored by Heian nobles.

Paths first wind through the hanging cherry garden, an incomparable display of deep pink blossoms in April, possibly one of the loveliest places on earth when in bloom. The first pond, surrounded by azalea bushes and long stemmed irises, is best seen in May and June. The stepping stones in the pond were formed from the stone pillars from Gojo and Sanjo bridge supports. The

pond beyond has a variety of later blooming azaleas and water lilies in June. The unadorned wooden bridge that crosses the pond was moved here from a former Imperial palace and has bench seating that allows visitors a restful view of the grounds.

In early June, when the open courtyard is the setting for torchlit Noh plays during the evenings, the shrine provides an exotic backdrop to this traditional form of drama.

This is a popular shrine for parents to come and ask the Shinto gods for blessings for their three-, five- and seven-year old children and for weddings in the special hall to the east of the Main Hall. The gods play a vital part in dispensing their grace on newborns, the growth of

children and young couples, so many supplicants come especially on those occasions.

Annual festivals celebrate the memory of Emperor Komei (late January) and Emperor Kammu (early April). On October 22, Heian Jingu hosts the Jidai Matsuri, which is one of the most important festivals of Kyoto. The procession of this festival begins at the old Imperial palace, and includes carrying the mikoshi, which are portable shrines, of Emperors Kanmu and Komei to the Heian Jingu. The Shrine is also used for other ceremonies such as traditional weddings as well as concerts. It is rare for a modern concert to be held at a historic site like the shrine, but merging modern and old culture in Kyoto has become

HEIAN SHRINE 41

金閣寺

KINKAKU-JI TEMPLE

pavilion was burned down by a 22-year-old novice Kinkaku-ji, known as the “Temple of the Golden monk, Hayashi Yoken, who then attempted suiPavilion,” is a Zen Buddhist temple in Western cide on the Daimon-ji hill behind the building.

Kyoto. The garden complex is an excellent examHe survived, and was subsequently taken into ple of Muromachi period garden design. The custody. The monk was sentenced to seven years Muromachi period is considered to be a classical in prison, but was released because of mental illage of Japanese garden design. The correlation nesses (persecution complex and schizophrenia) between buildings and its settings were greatly on September 29, 1955; he died of tuberculosis emphasized during this period. It was a way to shortly after in 1956. During the fire, the original integrate the structure within the landscape in statue of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu was unfortunatean artistic way. ly lost to the flames. A fictionalized version of The garden designs were characterized by a these events is at the center of Yukio Mishima’s reduction in scale, a more central purpose, and 1956 book The Temple of the Golden Pavilion. a distinct setting. A minimalistic approach was

The present pavil- brought to the garden

ion structure dates from design by recreating The pavilion successfully incorporates

1955, when it was relarger landscapes in a three distinct styles of architecture

built. The pavilion is smaller scale around which are shinden, samurai, and zen,

three stories high, or a structure. The site is specifically on each floor.

approximately 12.5 designated as a Nation

meters in height. The al Special Historic site reconstruction is said to be a copy close to the and a National Special Landscape, and it is one original, although some doubt such an extensive of 17 locations comprising the Historic Monugold-leaf coating was used on the original strucments of Ancient Kyoto World Heritage Site. It is ture. In 1984, the coating of Japanese lacquer was also one of the most popular buildings in Japan, found a little decayed, and a new coating as well attracting a large number of visitors annually. as gilding with gold-leaf, much thicker than the The site of Kinkaku-ji was originally a villa original coatings, was completed in 1987. Addicalled Kitayama-dai, belonging to a powerful tionally, the interior of the building, including statesman, Saionji Kintsune. Kinkaku-ji’s history the paintings and Yoshimitsu’s statue, were also dates to 1397, when the villa was purchased from the Saionji family by Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, restored. Finally, the roof was restored in 2003.

The name Kinkaku is derived from the gold and transformed into the Kinkaku-ji complex. leaf that the pavilion is covered in. Gold was an When Yoshimitsu died, the building was converimportant addition to the pavilion because of its ted into a Zen temple by his son, according to his underlying meaning. The gold employed was wishes. During the Onin war, all of the buildings to mitigate and purify any pollution or negative in the complex aside from the pavilion were thoughts and feelings towards death. Other than burned down. On July 2, 1950, at 2:30 am , the

96 CHAPTER 4 NORTHERN KYOTO

The Golden Pavilion reflected in the mirror pond known as Kyoko-chi.

the symbolic meaning behind the gold leaf, the Muromachi period heavily relied on visual excesses. With the focus on the Golden Pavilion, how the structure is mainly covered in that material, creates an impression that stands out because of the sunlight reflecting and the effect the reflection creates on the pond. The Golden Pavilion is a three-story building on the grounds of the Rokuon-ji temple complex. The top two stories of the pavilion are covered with pure gold leaf. The pavilion functions as a shariden, housing relics of the Buddha. The building was an important model for Ginkaku-ji (Silver Pavilion Temple), and Shokoku-ji, which are also located in Kyoto.When these buildings were constructed, Ashikaga Yoshimasa employed the styles used at Kinkaku-ji and even borrowed the names of its second and third floors. The pavilion successfully incorporates three distinct styles of architecture which are

shinden, samurai, and zen, specifically on each floor. Each floor of Kinkaku-ji uses a different architectural style.

The first floor, called The Chamber of Dharma Waters, is rendered in shinden-zukuri style, reminiscent of the residential style of the 11th century Shinden palace style. It is designed as an open space with adjacent verandas and uses natural, unpainted wood and white plaster. What also can impact the types of views can be seen from within the pavilion are the walls and fenestration. Most of the walls are made of shutters that can be manipulated by a person to allow a certain amount of light and air into the pavilion. As well as creating a new view by controlling the distance the shutter is raised to.

The second floor, The Tower of Sound Waves, is built in the style of warrior aristocrats, or bukezukuri. There is a feeling of impermanence that

KINKAKU-JI TEMPLE 97

The ink brush paintings on the sliding doors in the Main Hall.

龍安寺

RYOAN-JI TEMPLE The Zen garden of Ryoanji-Temple is one that immediately captures the eye, often in bewilderment, and then the heart as the eye matures. It is the iconic Zen garden, in many guidebooks as well as Japanese school children’s textbooks, and one of the most photographed and researched plots of real estate in the world.

The site of the temple was originally a Fujiwara family estate during the Heian period. The original temple buildings burned down during the Onin Wars (1467–77). The temple was reconstructed from 1488 to 1499, and Ryoanji’s famous

100 CHAPTER 4 WESTERN KYOTO

rock garden was probably constructed around this time. Further reconstructions and additions were made over the centuries. The temple belongs to the Myoshinji school of the Rinzai branch of Buddhism. Rinzai Zen was introduced to Japan by the Chinese priest Ensai in 1191 and emphasizes the use of koans, paradoxical puzzles or questions that help the practitioner to overcome the normal boundaries of logic.

The rock garden is located within the walls of the temple—a simple setting yet challenging.

Some pass through, unimpressed, others cannot

leave. Some might note the compact freshness of the space, gain insight into the islands of stone, absorb the pattern of patina on the earthen walls, or feel the agelessness of beauty. All this does not often happen in a single exposure. Ryoan-ji is like a landscaped koan puzzle for onlookers to ponder and wrestle, an opportunity to question what this space reflects within the onlookers spirit. It is a garden that expands the confined idea of "garden," and continues to reveal a different perspective with each viewing.

The kare-sansui dry sand and rock garden was likely designed after Hosokawa’s death, and rebuilt after a fire in the 1790s. A small mock-up of the garden in the foyer notes that the 15 rock and moss groupings may represent isles in the sea, or a tigress swimming with her cubs. The explanations are not meant to be definitive, but only to suggest the possibilities that this space could represent. The moss-covered boulders are placed so that, when looking at the garden from any angle, only 14 are visible at one time. In the Buddhist world the number 15 denotes completeness. So you must have a total view of the garden

to make it a whole and meaningful experience, and yet, in the conditions of this world, that is not possible. Unlike Stonehenge, the Pyramids, or Angkor Wat, Ryoanji can hardly impress you with technical achievement, religious imperative or sheer scale. Yet its quiet minimalism inspires contemplation and introspection.

Whether the frigid air is dusted with snow or the rocks glisten with summer rain, whether graceful cherry branches brush the earthen walls or brilliant autumn leaves float down on to the raked sand, there is never a bad time to visit Ryoan-ji. Behind the simple temple that overlooks the rock garden is a stone washbasin called Tsukubai, which is said to have been contributed

by Tokugawa Mitsukuni in the 17th century. It bears a simple but profound four-character inscription: “I learn only to be contented.” This is the heart of Zen philosophy. Exiting the temple, paths pass a smaller temple pavilion winding through grounds of softly textured moss and on to a small cemetery for temple patrons.

The pond in the outer garden attracts various transient birds and ducks. An arbor of fragrant

Zen gardening is a task that takes years to perfect and hours to perform.

RYOAN-JI TEMPLE 101

The rustic and humble yet exquisite that gate frames the garden, a conceit that raises anticipation and stimulates the eye.

132 CHAPTER 5 SOUTHERN KYOTO

art forms, and created and refined over many years. Appreciating it requires some knowledge of not only Japanese design principles but also of literature and art. The garden paths, for example, reflect Prince Toshihitos literary knowledge by referencing views in famous Chinese and Japanese poems. A miniaturized vista of Aminohashidate is a bow to the long sandbar dotted with tall slender pine trees that lies within his wife's family domain in northern Kyoto. The Katsura garden is set on a flat piece of land and would seem to make for easy walking, but strolling the garden in kimono and zori slippers means treading slowly and carefully, especially since the stepping stones are laid at purposefully asymmetrical angles. Forced to look down while stepping, the visitor, on looking up, finds a changed scene, reminiscent of a poem perhaps or a play, a painting or the passing of a season.

Several words in the Japanese aesthetic lexicon—wabi, sabi and yugen—help explain the underlying concepts. These terms can be applied to the arts, ranging from gardening to painting, flower arrangement to pottery, tea ceremony utensils to architecture. But in gardening, a simple yet elegantly humble example of wabi would be how a flower, just coming into bloom, triggers an anticipation of pleasure. Sabi, the fulfillment of beauty, is felt during the brief pause when that bloom is fully open, but before its petals begin to fall. Another key tenet of garden aesthetics is the use of yugen— the sense of mystery and lingering suspense found in a wizened tree trunk or mountain peaks piercing a mist-laden valley.

Another relevant concept is the three levels of formal, semiformal and informal (shin-gyo-so). A straight path of rather equally sized and evenly placed stones is regarded as formal, while asymmetrically placed, odd-shaped stones are the least formal. Japanese recognize and appreciate this delineation. Katsura's 1,716 stones, all deliberately positioned on this spectrum of formality, are designed to provoke thoughtful aesthetic pleasure.

Visitors may not enter the buildings, architectural masterpieces whose layout reflects the aristocratic estates of the Heian age that ended 400 years before Katsura was built. Tools had greatly advanced in the intervening centuries and carpenters used rare woods to create exquisite, highly detailed and individualized designs.

Alcoves display staggered shelves, beams have well-fashioned nail covers and the eaves of each building sit at different levels to create a cascading effect.

A Western villa is usually at its best when approached from the front. But Katsuras entrance is set at a diagonal, so that if viewed from above, the modular rooms of the building complex form a staggered V-shape. This angle allows greater inclusion of garden views to delight the resident and visitor, a complete integration of architecture and landscape.

Each scene encountered presents the beauty of seasons in different stages of growth, for the gardeners understand how to artfully combine the componenets of building and landscape.

KATSURA IMPERIAL VILLA 133

the leisurely two-hour walk around the mountain.

There is nothing like it in any other city in Japan, perhaps in the world. lnari Shrine, older than the capital itself, is the tutelary shrine of the Hata family, a clan of Korean origin who owned much of the land in the city. They invited the Emperor to make use of its hunting grounds before offering it to the Imperial court as the new capital. Fertile, with a good supply of wood and water, the land could support a growing population, while its surrounding mountains provided natural defenses. The court moved here in 794, and builders soon made use of the abundant supply of timber to construct lnari Shrine and To-ji Temple.

The main purpose of the shrine was to proffer the gods offerings to assure abundant rice crops.

After entering Japan around 300 BCE, this nutritious plant quickly became the basic dietary staple and a key trade commodity. Rice production, and lnari, are closely associated with foxes, and the shrine is covered with their images on prayer plaques and in paintings. Legend has it that a couple of frisky foxes frolicked in the rice fields, and returned at harvest with a bounty of their own, thus binding the image of the fecund fox to that of a good harvest. lnari Shrine is covered with prayer plaques in the shape of foxes, for not only did Kyoto's early citizens depend on the crop as food, once rice was fermented and made into sake, the gods smiled even more broadly on their devotees, including today's red-faced tipsy visitors to the shrine. Casts of sake decorate many of Kyoto's major shrines, and especially here, with the nearby breweries in Fushimi, which are major contributors to the shrine. The torii have the names of patrons on the left side as you ascend, businesses on the right side. Written on the top of the posts are a couple

Mt. Inari is covered with brilliant red torii, all given by devotees to the gods that reside in his shrine.

A gigantic red torii marks the entrance to the shrine.

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Sunbeams cut through the closely placed cinnabar-colored torii gates.

FUSHIMI INARI SHRINE 127

In Kyoto: City of Zen, local Kyoto expert Judith Clancy presents many of the important gardens, temples, shrines and palaces of this ancient capital city and enduring cultural center. In addition to unveiling the city's spiritual and historical riches, this book shares with readers the exquisite foods, artistic crafts, religious ceremonies and architectural traditions that have flourished in Kyoto for over a millennium. Tea ceremonies, calligraphy, weaving, pottery, painting, drama, and many more traditional arts and crafts are presented through more than 350 photographs by Ben Simmons, whose images capture the true essence of Kyoto. The city's natural setting also comes into focus as you walk along leafy mountain paths and through spectacular parks and gardens viewing the best foliage each season has to offer.

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