Nanzen-ji Temple

Overview

Nanzen-ji is a Rinzai Zen Buddhist temple in the Sakyō ward of Kyoto, Japan, serving as the head temple of the Nanzen-ji branch and enshrining Shakyamuni as its principal image. Emperor Kameyama established it in 1291 on the site of his former detached palace, making it Japan's first imperially commissioned Zen temple, with Mukan Fumon as its founding abbot. Under the Muromachi-period Gozan system it was placed above the Five Mountains of both Kyoto and Kamakura, giving it the highest rank among Rinzai temples.

Highlights

• ●Founded as Japan's first imperially commissioned Zen temple, it holds the rank "above the Five Mountains."
• ●Its principal image is Shakyamuni, and its formal name is Taihei Kōkoku Nanzen-ji.
• ●The precincts are a nationally designated Historic Site, and the Hōjō gardens are a designated Place of Scenic Beauty.
• ●Subtemples such as Konchi-in, Nanzen-in and Tenju-an, along with the Nanzen-ji Hōjō, are preserved within the grounds.

History

In 1291 Emperor Kameyama established the temple on the site of his former detached palace, inviting Mukan Fumon as founding abbot. As Japan's first imperially commissioned Zen temple, it was ranked above the Five Mountains of Kyoto and Kamakura under the Muromachi-period system. The temple was destroyed by fire in 1895 and rebuilt in 1909.

Map

35.0111, 135.7942 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Enter the precinct and take in the temple buildings
2. 2Walk through the grounds, a nationally designated Historic Site
3. 3View the Hōjō gardens, a designated Place of Scenic Beauty
4. 4Visit subtemples such as Konchi-in, Nanzen-in and Tenju-an

Did you know?

💡 Nanzen-ji is regarded as the temple "above the Five Mountains," holding the highest rank among all Rinzai Zen temples in Japan.

Nearby spots