Shunkoin temple

Shunkoin temple is a Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan and belongs to the Rinzai Zen Myoshin-ji Sect. D.T. Suzuki, who was a famous Zen Buddhist scholar and author, was a frequent guest of this temple. At Shunkoin temple, he visited Dr. Hoseki Shinichi Hisamatsu,who was a phylosopher, Zen Buddhist scholar, and tea ceremony master, and discussed the Zen Buddhism together. D.T. Suzuki planted several azelea trees in the front yard of this temple.

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Shunkoin Templein English

History and Origin

Shunkoin temple, which is located in Myoshin-ji temple , was established by Yoshiharu Horio in 1590. The original name of Shunkoin temple was Shungenin. Yoshiharu Horio built this temple for his son, Kinsuke Horio (he died in the Battle of Odawara in 1589), and Yoshiharu’s ancestors.

The founder, Yoshiharu Horio, was originally a vassal of Hideyoshi Toyotomi in Owari (currently, Aichi Prefecture). After Hideyoshi Toyotomi unified Japan and became a regent “kampaku”(1585), Yoshiharu were appointed as a high rank officer “churõ” in the Toyotomi government. Regent Hideyoshi Toyotomi died in 1598. After the Battle of Sekigahara, Yoshiharu was appointed a feudal lord of Matsue Han (currently, Shimane Prefecture) by Ieyasu Tokugawa(the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate) in 1600. Yoshiharu’s grandson, Tadaharu, succeeded Yoshiharu’s position and became a feudal lord. He was an outstanding leader in Matsue Han. Tadaharu died in 1633. Since he had no male heir, the Tokugawa shogunate government disallowed Horio clan’s rule in Matsue Han. At the same time, Shungenin temple also lost its patron. But, because a daughter of Tadaharu was married with Noriyuki Ishikawa, who was a feudal lord of Ise-Kameyama (today’s Mie Prefecture), Ishikawa clan became a new patron of Shungenin temple. When Ishikawa clan became a patron of this temple, Noriyoshi changed the temple’s name from “Shungenin” to “Shunkoin” (it literally means a ray of light in the spring).

In the modern history of Shunkoin temple, Dr. Hoseki Shinichi Hisamatsu, a famous philosopher, Zen Buddhist scholar, calligrapher, Sado (Japanese tea ceremony) master, and the founder of the FAS Society, lived in this temple. His friend and another prominent Japanese philosopher and Zen Buddhist scholar, D.T. Suzuki, was a frequent guest of Shunkoin temple. D.T. Suzuki and Dr. Hisamatsu often discussed the new philosophy consisting both Western philosophy and Zen Buddhism together at this temple. In the front yard of Shunkoin temple, there are azalea trees around “Ginsui-no-Ido” (the Well of Silver Water). Those azaleas were offered and planted by D.T. Suzuki.

the Bell of Nanbanji

The “Bell of Nanban-ji” was originally the bell at Nanban-ji , which was the first Christian church in Kyoto. This bell was made in Portugal in 1577. With the support of Nobunaga Oda, the Jesuit Father Gnecchi-Soldo Organtino established this church in 1576. 11 years later (1587), Regent Hideyoshi Toyotomi destroyed Nanban-ji to prohibit the Christianity in Japan. The bell came to this temple in the Edo period.

On the surface of the bell, the Jesuit seals were engraved. Those Jesuit seals contains a sacred monogram “IHS” (sometimes, IHC ), which is formed of the first three letters of the Greek word for "Jesus" (ΙΗΣΟΥΣ or IHCOYC). Sometimes, IHS has words connected to the Latin phrase Iesus Hominum Salvator meaning "Jesus, Savior of Mankind.” Under the “IHS” monogram, there are three nails. Three nails symbolize the Crucifixion. They are three in number because two nails were used to secure Christ's Hands, and a third was used to secure His Feet. Also, the number “1577” was engraved on the surface, which was the year this bell was made.

Rooms

The rooms of Shunkoin Temple are decorated with Eigaku Kano 's screen paintings. Eigaku Kano belonged to “Kano-Ha (the Kano school)”. Kano-Ha was a school of professional Japanese artists. The founders of Kano-Ha were Masanobu and Motonobu Kano (a son of Masanobu). The art works of the Kano school appealed to the taste of warrior class. In the early period, the Kano school specialized Chinese-style ink-paintings. In the late 16th century, Eitoku Kano started the new style of painting in the school. He painted Japanese landscapes, birds, flowers, and animals with brilliant colours on gold leaf screens. In 1612, Tanyu Kano , a grandson of Eitoku, was appointed an official painter of the Tokugawa shogunate. Thus, many “daimyo” (feudal lords) also hired artists of the Kano school to decorate their castles, temples, and shrines. When this temple was rebuilt in the 18th century, Eigaku was hired by the Ishikawa clan, the patron of this temple and feudal lord of Ise-Kameyama Han, to decorate Shunkoin temple.

1. “Chugoku-bunjin-no-ma” “Chugoku-bunjin-no-ma” means the “Room of Chinese Confucians” in English. Eigaku painted the four hobbies of Chinese Confucians: harp, chess, reading, and painting. The Tokugawa shogunate also built many government-funded schools of the Confucianism and encouraged samurai (warriors) to study there. Thus, the Confucians and their life style became the favorite themes of screen paintings, which decorate daimyo’s (feudal lords) castles and temples.

2. “Tsuki-to-kari-no-ma” “Tsuki-to-kari-no-ma” is the “Room of the Moon and Geese”. This room has the main altar of this temple. The theme of this room is a Japanese landscape in the late autumn.

3. “Kacho-no-ma” “Kacho-no-ma” is the “Room of Birds and Flowers”. This room shows the typical style of the Kano school; Eigaku painted birds and flowers with many brilliant colours: a pair of ducks and Japanese maple (south), a pigeon and pine tree (west), a pheasant and pine tree (east), and a gold pheasant and peonies (north).

4. “Bun’o-no-ma” “Bun’o-no-ma” is the “Room of King Wen (or Wen Wang ) of Zhou”. Eigaku painted the famous story of King Wen and Lu Shang (or Jiang Taigong ). When King Wen came to a river and spotted an old fisherman. King Wen immediately noticed that this old fisherman was not an ordinary man. This fisherman was actually Lu Shang (or Jiang Taigong ), a legendary political thinker and military strategist. King Wen could have asked Lu Shang come and bow down to him. However, in order to show his honor, King Wen waited for Lu Shang to finish fishing. When Lu Shang finished fishing, King Wen bowed to Lu Shang and asked him to join his court. Lu Shang accepted the king’s offer and supported King Wen and his son Wu to create Zhou Dynasty. This story was one of the most popular themes for screen paintings of Japanese castles and temples. There are two main reasons: 1. the story shows an ideal relationship between a master and his/her vassals. 2. Zhou Dynasty was the longest dynasty in China. So, many daimyo (feudal lords) wished for their descendants’ long-lasting success and happiness.

Gardens

“Sazareishi-no-niwa”

The main garden of Shunkoin temple is located in the south part of the temple. The name of the garden is “Sazareishi-no-niwa” (the Garden of Boulders). Since Yoshinori Ishikawa was also a worshipper of Ise Jingu (the Ise Shrine/Grand Shrine of Ise) and Ise Jingu is located in his territory, he created miniatures of Naiku (the Shrine of Amaterasu Omikami)and Geku (the Shrine of Toyouke Omikami )in the Grand Shrine of Ise and the Ise Bay in the garden. The name of this garden was derived from many boulders, which were placed to imitate the archipelago of Ise in this garden. “Sazareishi-no-niwa” has both characters of Zen and Shinto style gardens.

“Tokiwa-no-niwa”/ “Tsurukame-no-niwa”

“Tokiwa-no-niwa” (the Garden of Tokiwa) is located the west part of Shunkoin. This garden is the oldest part of Shunkoin temple and was designed by Yoshiharu Horio at the same time, when this temple was established in 1590. The name of this garden “Tokiwa” is derived from the area around Sagano. Sagano (Tokiwa) is located west of Kyoto. This garden is also located west of this temple. Thus, the garden was named “Tokiwa-no-niwa” (the Garden of Tokiwa). This garden has another name, “Tsurukame-no-niwa” (the Garden of a Crane and Turtle). “Tsuru” is a crane in Japanese, and “kame” is a turtle in Japanese. A stone lantern next to an old well in the garden resembles a crane. A huge stone structure on the left side of the garden resembles a sea turtle. In Japan, a turtle and crane are symbols of longevity. There is an old Japanese saying, “Tsuru wa sen nen, kame wa man nen (a crane lives one thousand years, and a turtle lives ten thousands years).” Usually, a turtle and crane appear together in many Japanese arts, like in this garden.

"Front Yard"

The front yard of Shunkoin temple does not have a specific name. However, there are azalea trees,D.T. Suzuki planted.

Tourist Information

Shunkoin temple's tour is available by the appointment(FAX: +81.75.462.5488). The Limit: Five Groups a Day

External Link

Shunkoin Temple