Entokuin: The residence of Kitanomandokoro, a.k.a. “Nene”, with sliding door paintings by Hasegawa Tohaku and a garden by Kobori Enshu!




When you visit Kodaiji Temple on the Nenodo, a must-visit temple is Entokuin.

The surrounding area is full of sightseeing spots such as Ishibe Koji (stone walled alley) and Yasaka-no-to (tower of Yasaka), making it a hidden sightseeing spot that is often overlooked.

Entokuin”. It is not well known, is it? How many Japanese know its name?

However, if you say that Kitanomandokoro, a.k.a. Nene, the real wife of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, lived in this temple, you can expect a lot, can’t you?

Yes, it is a treasure trove of cultural assets since it is the place where such a celebrity lived.

Let’s take a look inside the temple!

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The location is facing Nene-no-michi and across from Kodaiji Park. It is a very touristy area.

The nearest station is a 15-minute walk from Gion-Shijo by train.

If you take the city bus, get off at Higashiyama Yasui and walk for 5 minutes.

The area is full of emotion, so a stroll is recommended.

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The main gate is located a little further back from Nene’s Road.

It is a nice place to take a break while sightseeing.

You can take a break while sightseeing.

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The wet cobblestones make the air cool and cool.

It is nice to have a path that is not straight but cranked like this.

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Passing through the gate and past the garden, you will see a water pot.

You wash your hands here and go inside the house! That’s nice.

I want to live like this.

It is not easy to pass by. Even this one handbasin is “Lord Hideyoshi’s favorite handbasin.

It is said that Hideyoshi sent his favorite water pot to the Nishio family as a thank-you for taking care of him.

The Nishio family is said to be a relative of Yoshimoto Imagawa.

Even a single water pot has too much celebrity and historical value.

This is a very interesting story.

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And the fusuma paintings. These are the sliding door paintings by Hasegawa Tohaku! I wonder if it is?

The birds are patterned in several different ways, somewhat like the Rimpa school.

When Tohaku Hasegawa was still a novice, he went into a monk’s house without permission and painted the fusuma without permission.

Well, it is an episode that shows the passion of an artist and his determination to make a name for himself.

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The garden is also as you would expect.

The arrangement of the trees that seem to envelop the garden, and the flowing beauty of the white sand.

It is a space like a picture of tranquility.

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And the “North Garden”. It is designated as a national place of scenic beauty.

After all, this garden was created by Enshu Kobori.

It is characterized by the arrangement of many rough rocks.

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It also has a slightly samurai-like roughness to it.

This temple is definitely not to be missed if you want to enjoy the Azuchi-Momoyama culture in Kyoto.

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I know it’s not important, but I want this mosquito coil!

It’s like a Japanese mosquito coil version of the Halloween jack-o’-lantern.

And the watermelon is nice because it is summery and Japanese style.

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Another must-see when visiting Entokuin is the “Three-faced Daikokuten”.

Hisashi Kashiwai, the author of many books on Kyoto, says that this is his guardian deity.

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It is said that Hideyoshi cherished it immensely as the principal image of Hideyoshi’s successor.

What’s more, it’s insanely unique,

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What a great combination of three gods, Daikoku, Bishamonten, and Benzaiten.

This is a very profitable god lol. It looks like something Hideyoshi would have liked.

It seems to be beneficial for success in life, good luck, military fortune, and money luck.

I guess Hideyoshi was not interested in luck in love.

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And, Entokuin is as fun as a maze.

You can go through narrow paths or cross over the street to another house.

The temple was full of stories to entertain history buffs, garden lovers, and Japanese painting enthusiasts to the very end.

 

Entokuin Temple
530 Shimogawara-cho, Kodaiji, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto
075-525-0101

 


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