| Taizō-in 退蔵院 | |
|---|---|
 Taizō-in Hōjō | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Buddhist |
| Rite | Rinzai schoolMyōshin-ji branch |
| Location | |
| Location | 35 Hanazono-Jinomakacho, Ukyō-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto-fu |
| Country |  Japan |
  Taizō-in Show map of Kyoto Prefecture Taizō-in (Japan) Show map of Japan | |
| Coordinates | 35°1′18.76″N135°43′9.24″E / 35.0218778°N 135.7192333°E /35.0218778; 135.7192333 |
| Architecture | |
| Founder | Hatano Shigemichi |
| Completed | 1404 |
 | |
Taizō-in (退蔵院) is one of thetatchū (塔頭) sub-temples ofMyōshin-ji, aRinzai schoolZenBuddhist temple in the Hanazono neighborhood ofUkyō-ku in the city ofKyoto,Japan. It is one of the few of Myōshin-ji's sub-temples which are normally open to the public.
The temple was founded in 1404 by Hatano Shigemichi, a local warlord fromEchizen Province, in the Senbon-dori Matsubara neighborhood of Kyoto, with third head of Myōshin-ji, Muin Sōin (無因宗), as its founder. It was later moved to the grounds of Myōshin-ji by Niho Soshun. It was destroyed (along with the rest of Myōshin-ji during theŌnin War, but was rebuilt in 1597 by Kinen Zenyu, a devoted devotee ofEmperor Go-Nara.[1]
The temple is entered from the east via a simple gate. The abbot's residence (方丈,Hōjō), completed in 1602, is usually not open to the public. Thefusuma sliding screen paintings inside were painted by artist Murabayashi Yuki in 2022. Previously, there were paintings by Kanō Ryōkei (a senior disciple ofKanō Mitsunobu), a painter of theKanō school in the lateMomoyama period, but as they had deteriorated significantly, they were replaced by Murabayashi's paintings. The building is a NationalImportant Cultural Property.[2] Adjacent to the Hōjō to the north is theShoin, which also includes aJapanese tea ceremony room called the "Kakoi-no-seki". Adjacent to the Hōjō to the west is a smallKaresansuiJapanese dry garden, and to the south is an extensive garden called the Motonobu's Garden (元信の庭,Motonobu no niwa).[1]
Taizō-in holds one of Japan's oldest ink paintings,Catching catfish with a gourd (紙本墨画淡彩瓢鮎図,hyōnen-zu),c. 1413, byJosetsu (如拙), which is aNational Treasure of Japan. It is identified as a turning point inMuromachi painting, and represents a Zenkoan.
This is dry landscape garden said to have been created byKanō Motonobu (1476–1559), the founder of the Kanō school]], and who was better known as a painter. It contains many features numerous garden stones arranged in a dynamic way, including one representingMount Hōrai, and a dry waterfall flowing into the ocean is expressed using white sand. The planting is mostlyevergreen, includingcamellia,pine, andJapanese umbrella pine. It covers 50tsubo (170 m2) and was designed to integrate aborrowing of scenery ("shakkei") of a view ofNarabigaoka Hill in the distance. The garden was designated aNational Historic Site and National Place of Scenic Beauty in 1931.[3]
A new pond garden, or yoko-en, was designed byKinsaku Nakane in 1963–1966. The new garden is large enough for visitors to walk in, and containsazaleas and a stream that cascades along the main axis, directly toward the main viewing position. The stream flows around rocks, gradually widening until it empties into a pool in front of the viewer.
Taizō-in is located a ten-minute walk fromHanazono Station on theJR WestSagano Line.[1]
Media related toTaizouin, Myoshinji at Wikimedia Commons