Renge-ji (蓮華寺)

Renge-ji (蓮華寺)Renge-ji (蓮華寺)Renge-ji (蓮華寺)Renge-ji (蓮華寺)Renge-ji (蓮華寺)Renge-ji (蓮華寺)Renge-ji (蓮華寺)Renge-ji (蓮華寺)Renge-ji (蓮華寺)

Renge-ji is a small temple in the north-east of Kyoto city. Despite its minimalist size, it is very well known as a top spot for watching the autumn colours. According to the pamphlet Renge-ji was founded in 1662 by Imaeda Chikayoshi but other sources state that it was originally near the current location of Kyoto Station, and that Imaeda-san only moved it here and "revived" it long after its total destruction during the Onin war (1467~1477).

The main hall garden is of the "pond" style, formally known as "chisenkai kaiyuushiki garden" (池泉回遊式庭園). The only island stone of the pond represents a ship and is called "funaishi", which means... ship stone ;-) Among the numerous colourful maple trees surrounding the pond stands a uniquely-shaped lantern with a conical "hat" and heart-shaped orifices. An interesting subject for a photo but you need to place your camera at the right position in the main hall in order to see it reasonably well, as it is always a bit hidden by the maple trees. The final zen touch of the garden is given by the stone bridge and its nearby standing stone. The slightly tilted pine tree trunk that is close to the hall on the right is also part of the garden's design. Finally, a tsukubai (蹲い) water basin is expectedly located at the extreme left of the hall. It has a small extra piece of bamboo on which the handle of the ladle can rest, a not-so-common feature for a tuskubai.

The garden extends to the right and a path leads to a separate hall. Note that it is not allowed to photograph there because it would block the narrow path for the other visitors. When leaving the temple, have a look at the kitchen located next to the place where you remove your shoes. You can see two large pots, but AFAIK those were not used to cook rice, the latter requiring some more specific and elaborate heating system (a good example of which can be see in the Sumiya).

Ooops, I forgot to mention the front garden. Well, that's the place where most tourists stop in autumn to take pictures of each other in front of low-hanging maple foliage. A bit crowded for my taste, but on the right (when you enter the temple) is a large ginkgo tree which leaves a beautiful carpet of yellow leaves in autumn.

Nearby is another great temple for the momiji season: Ruriko-in. However that one is not always open so you'll have to check on the web in advance.

Recommended for: Access: 400 円

Nearby: Hōdō-ji 宝幢寺 (430m), Sanmyō-in 三明院 (510m), Miyakehachiman-jingū 三宅八幡神宮 (670m), Rurikō-in 瑠璃光院 (800m), Sekizanzen-in 赤山禅院 (920m)

External links: ウィキペディア, Kyoto Navi, Trip Advisor, Kyoto Design, 京都風光, そうだ京都, Satellite view, Map

Keywords: Japan, 日本, Japon, Kyoto, 京都, 南左京, Sakyo-ku, 蓮華寺, Renge-ji, temple, 寺院, 仏閣

Statistics: visited on 11 occasions, id 327, 26 photos (44 extra photos can be found in the archive).

Photos of Renge-ji:

Carpet of fallen ginkgo leaves (Renge-ji 蓮華寺)
Stone lantern among multi-colored maple leaves, Renge-ji temple, Kyoto, Japan
Varied autumn colors over the intimate pond garden of Renge-ji temple, Kyoto, Japan
Meditation hall and garden in autumn (Renge-ji 蓮華寺)
Water basin with bamboo ladle in autumn (Renge-ji 蓮華寺)
Meditation hall and garden in autumn (Renge-ji 蓮華寺)
Renge-ji temple's zen garden
Tsukubai water basin on the edge of Renge-ji temple small pond garden, Kyoto, Japan
Ladle over tsukubai during the new green maple leaves season in Renge-ji temple, Kyoto, Japan
Bright green maple colours of early spring in Renge-ji temple, Kyoto, Japan
Dark pond garden surrounded by lush green maple trees, Renge-ji temple, Kyoto, Japan
Late autumn in Renge-ji temple pond garden, Kyoto
Morning light and late autumn colours in the hall of Renge-ji temple, Kyoto, Japan
The pond of Renge-ji temple in autumn, Kyoto, Japan
Tsukubai water basin in Renge-ji temple, Kyoto
Carpet of fallen gingko leaves in Renge-ji temple, Kyoto, Japan
The little pond garden of Renge-ji temple and its tsukubai surrounded by autumn colours, Kyoto, Japan
First autumn colours in the pond garden of Renge-ji temple, Kyoto, Japan
Tsukubai water basin reflecting fiery autumn colours in Renge-ji temple, Kyoto, Japan
Traditional Japanese roof covered with fallen maple leaves, Renge-ji temple, Kyoto, Japan
Late autumn colors over the little pond garden of Renge-ji temple, Kyoto, Japan
Tsukubai water basin and red autumn leaves around the small pond garden of Renge-ji temple, Kyoto, Japan
Late autumn foliage and fallen leaves in Renge-ji temple pond garden, Kyoto, Japan
Autumn foliage around the pond garden of Renge-ji temple, Kyoto, Japan