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Web Japan > NIPPONIA No.30 > Special Feature*

NIPPONIA No.30 September 15, 2004

Special Feature*

San-mon Gate at Nanzen-ji Temple, 10 on map, is most imposing. Note how the massive upper story is supported by thick pillars.

At Nanzen-ji Temple. A moment admiring the garden from the abbot's residence is made even more enjoyable by the approach of a young child visiting the temple.

In addition to Myoshin-ji, I visited a few of the other stunning and ancient Zen temples that are scattered all over Kyoto. The powerful, towering gates of Nanzen-ji and the calm pond at Tenryu-ji have lodged themselves forever in my memory. Ryogen-in and its gardens, which seem to say something about the universe or about Zen, are equally unforgettable. The details, the smells, the atmosphere, the pain. The Zen experience is beyond words. I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to get to the heart of Japanese culture in Kyoto.

(2)(1) Gardens at Ryogen-in, one of Daitoku-ji's minor temples. The stone garden in front of the abbot's residence (2) is called Isshidan, while the smallest stone garden in Japan (1) is called Totekiko.(3) In the early morning, a monk sweeps in front of a gate inside the grounds of Daitoku-ji Temple, 31 on map.

Myoshin-ji Temple offers Zen meditation sessions for the general public. If you do not understand Japanese, it would be best to go with an acquaintance who does.

The main temple has a Japanese-language website:
http://www.myoshin.com/

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