Nanzenji Temple

Nanzen-ji is the head temple of the Nanzen-ji branch of the Rinzai Zen school, located in Kyoto’s Higashiyama area. It was founded in 1291 (Sho-o 4) when the former residence of Emperor Kameyama was granted to the monk Mukan Fumon (Daimei Kokushi), who established the temple. It is regarded as Japan’s first imperial Zen temple and was granted the status of “above the Five Mountains,” placing it at the highest rank among Zen temples. The name became widely known among the public through a famous kabuki scene from “Sanmon Gozan no Kiri,” in which Ishikawa Goemon declares, “What a splendid view!” from atop the temple’s great gate. The Sanmon Gate, an Important Cultural Property, stands about 22 m tall with a tiled roof; climbing its steep stairs leads to a corridor overlooking the grounds. The temple is also famous for cherry blossoms in spring and autumn foliage. The surrounding approach is known for yudofu (tofu hot pot), said to have roots in Buddhist vegetarian cuisine, and many yudofu restaurants are found nearby.