Enkou-ji Temple

Enko-ji Temple is a Rinzai Zen temple of the Nanzen-ji branch in Sakyo Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture, with the mountain name Zuigan-zan. It is said to have been founded in Keicho 6 (1601), when Tokugawa Ieyasu invited Genshitsu Genkitsu, the 9th head scholar of Ashikaga School, and established it as a place of learning in the Fushimi Castle town area. It also published books known as Enko-ji editions and Fushimi editions, and the approximately 50,000 wooden movable type pieces from that era are said to be Japan’s oldest, designated as Important Cultural Properties. Access to Enko-ji is about a 15-minute walk from Ichijoji Station on the Eizan Railway, or about a 10-minute walk from "Ichijoji Sagarimatsu-cho" bus stop using Kyoto City Bus route 5 from JR Kyoto Station. The gardens are also a major highlight, including the dry landscape garden "Horyu-tei" and the "Jugyuu no Niwa" garden, famous for moss and autumn leaves. It is also a wonderful idea to spend quiet time listening to the clear, delicate tones of the suikinkutsu water harp near the main hall. The temple also houses many cultural assets, including the principal image of Senju Kannon (attributed to Unkei), the portrait of its founder Zen master Genkitsu (Important Cultural Property), and the six-panel Bamboo Grove folding screen (by Maruyama Okyo, Important Cultural Property). In late autumn, many visitors come in search of vivid fall foliage.