Showing posts with label sesshu. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sesshu. Show all posts

Saturday, February 1, 2025

Hofukuji Temple in Soja

 


Hofukuji Temple is an historic Zen temple in Soja, Okayama.


It is most well known as being the temple where Sesshu trained as a child.


Sesshu, or Sesshu Toyo, was born around 1420 to a samurai family in what is now Soja City.


He went on to become a zen monk and one of the greatest Japanese painters.


He is also known for his gardens.


The most famous story connected to his time at Hofukuji was the story of Sesshu and the Rat


It is not known exactly when the temple was founded, but was originally of the Tendai Sect.


In 1232 it was converted into a Rinzai Zen temple, one of the first in the area.


It received Imperial patronage and grew powerful with more than 50 sub-temples and 300 branch temples at its peak.


In 1575 almost the whole temple was burned down during the Bitchu War, but the 3-story pagoda survived. It has been reliably dated to 1376 and is an Important Cultural Property and the oldest structure still standing here.


The rest of the temple was restored during the Edo Period. The main hall dates to 1735.


Other treasures include the 15th century temple bell, and several silk paintings.


There are two small gardens, a karesansui raked sand one, and a small pond garden.


Hofukuji is a great spot for autumn foliage.


At this time, the Hojo, the Abbots living quarters, are open to the public and paintings by Sesshu and other items relating to Sesshu's time at the temple are on display.


On this visit I was at the start of my 7th day walking the Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage.


The previous post in the series was on Shorenji Temple in Takahashi.


Sesshu is one of my favorite garden designers, and over the years I have visited almost all of his gardens that still exist, but have not posted many on this blog.




Friday, November 15, 2024

The Sesshu Garden in Autumn

 


Tuesday 25th November 2014 and I begin day 22 of my walk along the Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage with a visit to Jyoeiji Temple in Yamaguchi City.


Jyoeiji is home to what is considered the greatest garden by Sesshu, so much so that it is simply called The Sesshu Garden.


Sesshu (1420-1506) was a famous Zen monk known mostly as a painter although he was also a garden designer.


Known for creating a distinctly Japanese style of ink-wash painting, his garden are less well known, primarily I think because the majority of the ones that survive are off the beaten tourist track in Yanaguchi, Shimane, and Oita.


I mentioned in an earlier post on the gardens at Komyozenji Temple in Dazaifu that the modern garden designer Mirei Shigemori was one of the initial inspirations for my interest in Japanese gardens, and the second major inspiration was the gardens of Sesshu.


Sesshu was born in what is now Soja in Okayama Prefecture, and the most famous legend about him concerns him as an acolyte.


As a young monk he did study in Kyoto for a while, and a very small garden attributed to him still survives there, but he spent most of his life outside of Kyoto.


The garden at Jyoeiji was designed and built for Ouchi Masanori. The Ouchi were a powerful family who ruled over Suo Province and were involved in the Onin War.


The Onin War, 1467 to 1477, laid waste to Kyoto and  is considered the beginning of the long Warring States Period.


Ouchi Masanori established Yamaguchi as haven of art and culture during this time, including inviting Sesshu.


The garden was built at Masahiro's villa, some ways from his main palace.


Later he established a temple on the site, and centuries later when the Mori Clan ruled the area they transferred Jyoeiji Temple here.


The front part of the garden is grassy with many stone arrangements.


Behind it is a large pond with numerous features.


It is a stroll-type garden with a path going around. At a high point is a gazebo overlooking the pond.


The west side of the garden is planted with bamboo and maple.


One of the main features is a large "dry waterfall" stone arrangement.


The pond features a Turtle Island, a Crane island, a boat stone, and a carp stone in front of the dry waterfall.


As well as the Sesshu Garden, the temple also has two karesansui gardens including one designed by Mirei Shigemori.


In this post I have concentrated on the autumn colours, but in later posts I will cover the karesansui gardens, the Sesshu garden in more detail, and some of the artwork and statuary at the temple.


Previously I posted on the autumn colours at Kyorinbo Temple in Shiga.


There is a lot to see in Yamaguchi City, including one of the Three Great Pagodas of Japan.



Saturday, April 1, 2017

Sho'okuji Temple Hiji Oita


Sho'okuji is a large Soto Zen temple in the castle town of Hiji on Beppu bay in Oita. It isnt one of the Kyushu Pilgrimage temples ( which are all Shingon) but I wanted to stop by to see the Sesshu garden there. During the Edo Period it was the family temple of the Kinoshita Clan who ruled the domain.


The Manyu garden has a massive pond, and it is said that Sesshu, who lived nearby for many years, possibly had a hand in its design.


In front of the main hall is the biggest Cycad in all of Japan. Said to be 650 years old it was originally in the garden of Otomo Sorin, the famous Christian Daimyo who lived further south in Funai and Usuki. The palm trees trunk measures 4 and a half meters around.


Behind the main buildings is what I came to see, a garden attributed to Sesshu, my favorite garden designer. It was a grey, rainy day which didnt help. Sesshu lived in the area to avoid the Onin War. In the temples treasure house are some paintings attributed to him.


This rather nice Senju Kannon was in another of the temples halls.

Yuzukosho (yuzu pepper) is a signature product from Usuki & Hita