Founded in 774 by an imperial decree, the temple had two different names before becoming Kozan-ji in 1206. The abbot Myoe secured patronage from very important people and families such as Emperor Gotoba and the Fujiwara clan, which led the temple to prosperity and fame. Like many other temples in Kyoto, it suffered from the feudal "Onin" war and many buildings were destroyed by fire in 1547. Due to the temple importance, it took "only" 70 years to restore it to its former glory. Fire again claimed its toll when the temple gate and other buildings were destroyed in 1881, but were rapidly rebuilt by the turn of the century. Kozan-ji is a World Cultural Heritage since 1994.
The most interesting building for the visitor is Sekisui-in, the only building dating back to Myoe's time (and a national treasure). From its terrace the autumn colours can be admired with the foggy valley of cryptomeria in background. The building also houses a set of famous scrolls depicting playing frogs and other animals ("Chojugiga"). A new building was built in 1959 to keep all the treasures of the temple in good condition. Not a bad idea given the 1600 pieces classified as national or important cultural properties of Japan.
Kozan-ji, in relation with Kennin-ji, also has an important part in the history of tea in Japan: the priest Yousai of Kennin-ji brought back tea from China in the 1100s, and abbot Myoe started the perfection of the plantation of the tea itself.
After visiting the Sekisui-in, a stroll in the woods on a looping path will pass near the other temple buildings. Once back on the road, Saimyo-ji (西明寺) and then Jingo-ji (神護寺) and only a few minutes away. Visiting the temples around Kozan-ji on a dark day (or even a rainy day) is a good experience with more lush colours for the vegetation and and darker, moodier atmosphere. Not counting the lack of tourists as a bonus :-) Recommended for: Access: Nearby: Saimyō-ji 西明寺 (490m), Jingo-ji 神護寺 (960m) External links: Website, ウィキペディア, Wikipedia, Wikipédia, Kyoto Navi, Trip Advisor, Kyoto Design, 京都風光, Inside Kyoto, Marutake, そうだ京都, Satellite view, Map Keywords: Japan, 日本, Japon, Kyoto, 京都, Kozan-ji, UNESCO world heritage, temple, 高山寺, 寺院, 仏閣 Statistics: visited on 5 occasions, id 318, 23 photos (32 extra photos can be found in the archive). |
