The many faces of the “Golden Pavillion” in Kyoto, also called Kinkakuji Temple (金閣寺) or Rokuon-ji (鹿苑寺) or the “Deer Garden Temple”. It was in days gone by Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu’s (足利 義満) Villa!

Ikkyu-ji, formally known as the Shuon’an Ikkyu-ji, is a temple dedicated to the famous Zen priest Ikkyu-zenji who rebuilt the temple – which was known as Myosho-ji, built by the high priest Daio-kokushu, at the time – and renamed it Shuon’an in the year 1456, 124 years after it was destroyed in the war of 1331. Ikkyu-zenji (1394-1481) lived the remainder of his life in Shuon’an Temple, commuting to the Daitoku Temple in Kyoto to which he was appointed the sixth Chief Abbot at the age of 81. After passing away at the age of 88 on November 21, 1481, the temple was renamed Ikkyu-ji in his honor. Ikkyu was an eccentric Zen Buddhist poet who had a great impact on the infusion of Japanese art and literature with Zen attitudes and ideals. Strangely enough, in Rinzai Zen tradition, Ikkyu-zenji is considered to be both a heretic and saint. It is generally accepted that he was the son of Emperor Go-Komatsu and a low-ranking noblewoman, but his mother was forced to flee to Saga, Japan, where Ikkyu was raised by servants until the age of five when he was placed in a Rinzai Zen temple in Kyoto. To this day, Ikkyu-zenji is a famous and popular character among the Japanese public, even going so far as to have an anime made after him affectionately titled, ‘Ikkyu-san’. Despite the fact that in real life he was a dignified, intelligent man in old age – as depicted in a statue in Ikkyu-ji – many Japanese hold an image of him as a youthful, fun-loving, low-ranked child priest with a shaved head and a mischievous disposition from this anime. He is famous for his many puns; the most famous story is the following: One day Ikkyu envountered a sign in front of a bridge, which said, “Don’t cross this bridge (kono hashi wataruna)”. Even while seeing it, Ikku crossed the middle of the bridge blatantly and was subsequently arrested. When questioned as to why he had done such a thing, Ikkyu replied that he hadn’t crossed the edge, but the middle. This is a play on Japanese words, as ‘hashi’ in Japanese can mean both ‘bridge’ and ‘edge’. So, Ikkyu translated this sign as, “Don’t cross this edge”. Beyond the main gate of Ikkyu-ji is the stone-paved path approaching the temple. Near the entrance, you can see a stone monument that has calligraphy by Ikkyu-zenji himself, and a place to wash your hands and “purify” yourself for worship beyond it. The path leading to the temple runs along the west side of the temple, and the first building you will encounter is a steam bath which was restored in 1650 and designated as an Important Cultural Property. Turning right, you will see Ikkyu-zenji’s grave (Gobyosho) which Ikkyu built himself at the age of 82 in 1475 and is the resting place of many of Ikkyu’s admirers. This mausoleum is under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Household Agency as Ikkyu-zenji was a prince, the son of the 100th Emperor. The garden in front of the mausoleum was designed by Murata Juko, founder of the ceremonial tea art, who also designed the Kyokyu Garden. Beyond the mausoleum is the temple bell tower, Shoro, restored in 1650 and designated as an Important Cultural Property. Opposite the Shoro is the Chumon (middle gate) which you enter to see the priest’s living quarters, known as Kuri; the Tan-style gate, known as Karamon; and the lavatory, Tosu, which Toshitsune Maeda, feudal lord of Kaga Province (today Ishikawa Prefecture) and one of the powerful lords of the Tokugawa Shogunate, built and dedicated to the temple in 1650. These three structures are also designated as Important Cultural Properties. The Abbot’s Chamber, Hojo, was restored in 1650 by Toshitsune Maeda, and is one of the highlights of Ikkyu Temple, housing the seated wooden statue of Ikkyu-zenji sculpted by his disciple, Bokusaizenji under Ikkyu’s explicit orders in 1481, using Ikkyu’s own hair and moustache. This statue is designated as an Important Cultural Property. The interior sliding doors of Hojo are decorated with paintings by Kano Tanyusai Morinobu (1253-1490) who was the founder of the Kano school of painting in the early Edo period. These sliding doors, too, are named as an Important Cultural Property. Also in Hojo is the palanquin (a kind of chair that is carried) which Ikkyu used to travel to Kyoto. There are two rock gardens here; the Kokyu Garden and the Hojo Garden, the latter of which is designated as a place of scenic beauty. While Kokyu Garden, which surrounds the Kokyu-an (hermitage), is not open to public, the Hojo Garden is considered to be a very fine example of an early Edo period rock garden with its massive rocks and their subtle layout. The design is attributed to three distinguished designers of the time; Shokado, Sagawado Kiroku (Kosai), and Ishikawa Jozan. The stones standing in the garden are believed to symbolize the sixteen disciples of Buddha, steep mountains with deep valleys, and torrential waterfalls. Going back to the main path, you will see the Hondo,