Genkouan

Genko-an Temple is a Soto Zen temple in Kita Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture, with the mountain name Takamine-san, and is also known as “Fukko Zenrin.” It was founded in 1346 (Jowa 2) as the retirement hermitage of Tetto Giko, the second head priest of Daitoku-ji Temple in the Rinzai tradition. Access is convenient: from Kitaoji Station on the Kyoto Municipal Subway take City Bus route Kita-1 and get off at “Takamine Genkoan-mae” (right nearby), or from Hankyu Omiya Station take City Bus route 6 and get off at the same stop. Genko-an is famous for two windows in its main hall: the round “Window of Enlightenment (Satori no Mado)” and the square “Window of Confusion (Mayoi no Mado).” The round window represents “Zen and perfect harmony,” and the circle is said to symbolize the great universe. The square window symbolizes “the human life,” expressing the four sufferings and eight hardships (birth, aging, sickness, and death, and the associated struggles). The garden viewed through these windows shows rich seasonal expressions throughout the year. Another highlight is the “Blood Ceiling.” The ceiling boards of the main hall were made from floorboards of Fushimi Castle, where several hundred loyal Tokugawa retainers led by Torii Mototada fought bravely against the vastly larger Western Army during the Battle of Fushimi Castle (a prelude to the Battle of Sekigahara) and then took their own lives.