Tuesday 3rd October 2017. 14:00 Kyoto Japan.Honen-in Temple 法然院 My friend Jake from the UK has

Tuesday 3rd October 2017. 14:00 Kyoto Japan.

Honen-in Temple 法然院 

My friend Jake from the UK has finally arrived in Japan and he is staying with me for 3 weeks. I will have to go to work during this time but I have this first week off which gives us to time to hang out, catch up and explore Kyoto together. This was my first time at this temple although it is so close to my house. It was deserted and a pleasure to walk around. I’m glad this was Jake’s first visit to a temple in Japan, it was beautiful.

Established in 1680 to honor Honen (1133-1212), the founder of the Jodo sect, the temple is especially worth visiting in April for its cherry blossoms and again in the fall for its magnificent maples. Honen-in also has a small camellia garden visible from Hojo Hall.

The Hojo Hall, which houses paintings by Kano Mitsunobu, is opened to the public only in the first two weeks of April (1-17) and the first week of November (1-7), when the temple becomes very popular with Kyoto visitors.

Honen-in often stages small exhibitions by local artists and musicians in a small hall to the right of the main Sanmon gate. In fact, in recent years there has been over 100 events a year held at the temple including symposiums, Western and Japanese music recitals and tea gatherings.

Reaching out to the wider community has been a policy of the abbot Shinsho Kajita, who became the head monk after the death of his father in 1984. Honen-in also sponsors nature walks in the area through the Honen-in Mori no Kyoshitsu.