Tenjuan Garden

Tenju-an is a sub-temple (tacchu) of Nanzen-ji in Sakyo Ward, Kyoto City. It was established in 1339 (Ryakuko 2) with Kokan Shiren as founding patron to enshrine Nanzen-ji’s founder, Daimyo Kokushi, under an imperial prayer by Emperor Kogon. It later declined during the Sengoku period, but was revived in 1602 (Keicho 7) by the warlord and poet Hosokawa Yusai. The hojo (abbot’s quarters) has a kokera-buki (shingle) roof; inside are sliding-door paintings by Hasegawa Tohaku expressing Zen enlightenment, but these are not open to the public. In front of the hojo is the East Garden, a Meiji-era dry landscape garden: white gravel, green moss, and diamond-shaped stone paving form a geometric composition. The Shoin South Garden is a pond-strolling garden from the Nanbokucho period, with two ponds separated by a small ‘island.’ In autumn, surrounding maples turn the precinct a vivid red, and nighttime illumination is also held, attracting many visitors. It is about a 5-minute walk from Keage Station (Kyoto Subway Tozai Line), and the area also includes Nanzen-ji, Eikando, and the Nanzen-ji approach lined with yudofu restaurants.