Tenryuji Temple

Tenryu-ji is the head temple of the Tenryu-ji branch of the Rinzai Zen school, located in Saga-Arashiyama, Kyoto. It was founded in 1339 (Ryakuo 2) by Ashikaga Takauji to pray for the repose of Emperor Go-Daigo, with Muso Soseki appointed as founding abbot. It is considered the first Zen temple in Kyoto established by the warrior class. To fund construction, trade with Yuan China—dormant since the Mongol invasions—was revived, and the trade ships were known as “Tenryu-ji ships.” The temple flourished during the Muromachi period, but declined after the Onin War alongside the weakening shogunate. Highlights include the Hojo Garden, a representative Zen garden of the Nanboku-cho period and a designated Special Place of Scenic Beauty; it uses Arashiyama and Mt. Kameyama as borrowed scenery, creating an ink-painting-like landscape. Tenryu-ji is also known for a ceiling painting of a dragon (the Unryu-zu), sometimes called the “Eight-Direction Gaze Dragon.” It is normally not open to the public, but is typically displayed in February each year. From Togetsukyo Bridge, walk north; the temple gate appears on the left, and a long approach leads to the temple.