京の冬の旅 Winter Travels in Kyoto

 

Ninna-ji will be participating in “Kyo no Fuyu no Tabi” (Winter Travels in Kyoto) this year!

From January 10th to March 18th you can enjoy a special a chance to see the inside of Main Hall (Kondo) and the Five-Storied Pagoda! You can see the insides of both of these buildings for 600 yen! This is a very special opportunity, these buildings are usually closed to visitors!

On  the following dates the Main Hall will not be open to visitors, in exchange you can see the Five Storied Pagoda for a lower price (300 yen):

1/23, 2/2・3・14・15、3/3・4

You can see what other temples are participating and what buildings will be open especially for this season on the official Kyo no Fuyu no Tabi homepage! (Japanese only)

Renovations to Chokushi Gate are complete

 

The brand new roof of the Chokushi Gate has been completed!

The scaffolding has been put away and the gate is visible again with its new and improved roof.

 

Beautiful isn’t it? The color will change over time, but for now the roof looks very new!

Here’s a close-up so you can appreciate the craftsmanship that went into this renovation!

 

Ninnaji Temple is open to visitors from 9am to 4:30pm during the winter!

Bundle up and come see the refreshed Chokushi Gate!

Not all visitors are on their best behavior…

When you visit Japan you might find yourself struggling to find places to throw away your trash. Often there will be recycle bins near vending machines and trash and recycling bins at convenience stores, but it can be still be difficult to find a trash can when you need one.

At Ninna-ji as well as many other temples and sites in Kyoto, we ask that you take your trash with you. During the peak of the cherry blossoms here at Ninna-ji a few visitors not only didn’t clean up after themselves, but also went through the trouble of making a mess in a place out of sight. The crows got to the trash before the staff did, so it became an even bigger mess. It is very sad to see things like this.

During peak times, places such as temples and parks cannot handle disposing all their visitors’ trash. While it can be a hassle, please be sure to take your trash with you when you leave. It can be good to have an extra plastic bag or two folded up in your pocket or bag just in case.

The Cherry Blossom Festival here at Ninna-ji has come to an end and we would like to thank all the visitors that left the temple as beautiful as they found it. It is with everyone’s help that so many sites in Japan are clean and beautiful.

 

The Cherry Blossom Festival Begins!

Every year the Cherry Blossom Festival at Ninna-ji is scheduled to coincide with the bloom of the Omuro cherry trees. This year’s Festival starts tomorrow, April 14th! The Omuro cherries should be coming into full bloom in the next few days, but weather is always an important factor in the speed and longevity of the blossoms.

There were already some stalls out near the east gate last week! They offer a variety of souvenirs and tasty snacks.

Preparations were carried on earlier this week, even in the rain! There was no time to waste!

Starting tomorrow visitors coming to see the cherry blossoms will buy their tickets at the little booths to the left and proceed along the path through the Middle Gate. I hope many visitors will be able to come see the Omuro cherry trees in bloom this year!

Cherry Blossom Update

The Omuro cherry trees are not the only cherry trees here at the temple. This makes it a little more complicated to answer the many, many phone calls made to the temple every spring about if the cherry trees have bloomed yet. Everyone wants to see the cherry blossoms at their most beautiful, but which cherries?? Just to make things clear we are sure to describe the state of each type.
  

Some of the other cherries trees are already in or near full bloom!

But the late-blooming Omuro cherries are true to their name and the buds are just now beginning to open. We project that they will be blooming nicely by next week! Let’s hope for warm sunny weather so everyone can enjoy the blossoms as long as possible!

Reiho-kan Open for Spring

Reiho-kan, the temple museum, opened April 1st for the spring session. It will be open until May 27th. Although it is all written in Japanese, you can see a document listing the items on display here! While some of the most famous pieces are on display every time, other items are changed every session! Tickets for Reiho-kan cost ¥500.

 

Meals at Omuro Kaikan Hall

Occasionally guests who stay at Omuro Kaikan Hall are surprised to discover that the meals are not shōjin ryōri, Buddhist vegetarian cuisine. Although by staying at Omuro Kaikan Hall guests are staying on the temple grounds, because at Ninna-ji the goal is to offer guests the same comforts and atmosphere as that of a Japanese-style inn we offer traditional Japanese food instead of Buddhist cuisine.

If you stay at Omuro Kaikan Hall, or even if you just decide to eat at the restaurant for lunch during the day, you will be treated to delicious Kyoto cuisine, which includes fish and meat.

Here are some photographs of the types of meals served at Omuro Kaikan Hall, you can see a some other examples here and here.

        

Above: Breakfast (left) featuring boiled tofu and grilled salmon and dinner (right) that includes sashimi as well as famous Kyoto foods such as pickles and yuba (a tofu product).

Below: Another example of dinner, the exact items served vary depending on the time of year. No matter when you visit you can enjoy fresh ingredients and appreciate the Japanese sensitivity to the seasons at Omuro Kaikan Hall.

The restaurant in Omuro Kaikan Hall serves lunch from 11am to 1pm, so even guests who are not staying the night can enjoy traditional Kyoto cuisine during their visit to Ninna-ji!

For more information about staying overnight at the temple, please see this page.

Reiho-kan Open for Fall!

Reiho-kan is open from October 1st to November 23rd for the fall session. The Amida Triad on loan to the National Museum in Tokyo has been safely returned and is on display again, too! You can buy a combined ticket for both Goten and Reiho-kan at a discount or just see the temple treasures with a ¥500 ticket for Reiho-kan only. If you had the chance to visit in spring you’ll find that while some items are the same, there are many different pieces on display for this session as well!

Omamori: The Biwa Named Seizan

This omamori is a somewhat complicated historical and literary reference. The simplest explanation is that there was once a famous instrument (a biwa, a type of lute) named Seizan that was kept here at the temple. Unfortunately, the original has been lost, but we know of the instrument’s existence thanks to historical record. The more detailed story behind this omamori is found in those historical documents.

This biwa appears in the famous The Tale of the Heike. We are told that it was named “Seizan” (青山 “green mountain”) for the painting that decorated the front of the instrument. The painting depicted the moon rising above a lush green mountain in summer. Seizan was made in T’ang Dynasty China and was transmitted to Japan during the reign of Emperor Ninmyō (833-850).

Taira no Tsunemasa, a character in the The Tale of the Heike who is very talented at courtly arts including playing the biwa, brings Seizan to Ninna-ji Temple for safe keeping during the war. Tsunemasa had spent time at Ninna-ji as a child and was entrusted with Seizan for some time before he returns it to the temple. Sadly, Tsunemasa later dies in battle.

In the Noh play “Tsunemasa,” a monk at Ninna-ji holds a service to pray and mourn for Tsunemasa. Tsunemasa hears the prayers and appears at the temple as a ghost. He speaks of his longing to enjoy the courtly pastimes he once loved, and plays Seizan once more and performs a dance before disappearing back into the Asura Realm (an unpleasant realm where demigods are constantly at war). 

You can read the entire script of the play (in Japanese and English!) as well as a more detailed synopsis here at The Noh.com.

Feel free to use the information in this post to explain your Seizan omamori to your friends, Japanese or otherwise they will be very impressed with your knowledge!

Getting to Ninna-ji

By Bus

Traveling by bus is very convenient and easy in Kyoto! You can read about the bus system in English here. At the bottom of the page you will see a link to download a PDF of the bus route map. Unless you can print out a large copy at home, I recommend picking a map when you get here, but the PDF version is certainly handy for planning your visit. If you look on the bus map, you’ll notice that Ninna-ji is very close to two other temples, Kinkakuji and Ryoanji. All three temples can be accessed from the #59 bus, and if you’re feeling ambitious and the weather is agreeable, Ryoanji is within walking distance from Ninna-ji.

Many temples are most easily accessed by bus, so it is a very convenient method of transportation if you would like to visit several temples in one day. There are also several options for flat-fee all day bus or bus and subway passes available. You can buy these passes on the bus or at subway stations.

【From JR Kyoto Station】
JR Bus： Takao Keihoku Line 30 minutes　220

City Bus： 26,　40 minutes

【From Sanjo Keihan Station】
City Bus： 10 ・59,　40 minutes

【From Hankyu Omiya Station】
City Bus： 26,　30 minutes

【From Hankyu Saiin Station】
City Bus： 26,　25 minutes

By Train

【JR Sagano Line】
Take the Sagano Line (platforms 31/32/33) from JR Kyoto Station
→Get off at Enmachi Station, Take bus #26, arrive at Omuro Ninna-ji bus stop (10 minutes)
→Get off at Hanazono Station, continue to the temple by foot (15 minutes) or by taxi (5 minutes)

【Randen Steet Car (Keifuku Railway)】
Kitano Line to Omuro Ninna-ji Station, continue by foot (2 minutes)