Manshu-in Temple

A monzeki temple, associated with the Imperial family, whose dry landscape garden in harmony with the four seasons is splendid

View Gallery
The dry landscape garden has white sand representing the flow of water and moss and pine trees as floating islands. There is the contrast between the garden and the trees and flowers which change expression depending on the season, and there are the islands that are likened to cranes and turtles
Business Hours
Saturday ( 9:0 AM ~ 5:0 PM )
Sunday ( 9:0 AM ~ 5:0 PM )
Weekdays ( 9:0 AM ~ 5:0 PM )
Price
Adult: 600 JPY
Children: 400 JPY
Address
Manshu-in Sakyo-ku Kyoto-shi, Kyoto
Phone
(075) 781-5010

Photos & Videos

View Gallery

About

A temple of high status connected to the Emperor

Built initially in 728 on Mt. Hiei as a place of meditation by the monk Saicho, it was moved to its present location in 1656. Officially, it’s known as the Manshu-in Monzeki; a monzeki is a high-status temple whose chief priests were members of the Imperial family. The first generation of chief priests were monks who belonged to the Sugawara clan, and up to the latter half of the 1800s, they concurrently managed Kitano Tenmangu. Even now, shrines enshrining Michizane Sugawara are known as “mangu”. Many of the following are Important Cultural Properties within the temple such as the “kuri” temple kitchen, the “Tora no Fusuma-e” painting by Eitaku Kano in the “o-genkan” grand entrance, the Manshu-in temple shelf made from 10 kinds of wooden mosaic and the ranma screen above the sliding doors in the smaller “Ko-Shoin” parlor. Also, the dry landscape garden, a Place of Scenic Beauty, is well worth seeing. Finally, the existence of the “Hanging Scroll of the Ghost” whose artist and date of creation are unknown is also famous.

Islands compared to cranes and turtles.

The dry landscape garden was designed by the child of Emperor Tomohito who had designed the Katsura Imperial Villa. In front of the “Dai-Shoin” parlor, the white sand is likened to the sea while the green of the moss resembles islands. On Tsurushima (Crane Island), 400-year-old Japanese white pines are planted which resemble a crane’s neck, while on Kamejima (Turtle Island), turtle-shaped pines were planted previously. Incidentally in Japan, it is said that the crane represents a thousand years while the turtle represents ten thousand years so that the two animals stand for long life and prosperity, and are living beings that are good omens. Around the “Dai-Shoin” there are Kirishima azaleas, and in early May, the flowers bloom into a crimson carpet and make for a wonderful contrast with the landscape garden. In autumn, the temple is known for its fall foliage, and there is a beautiful contrast between the bright red leaves and the white sand.

read more

Plan your trip to kyoto

Chat with a local tour guide who can help organize your trip.

Request a Tour