Nishi Honganji Temple, recognized by UNESCO

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Nishi Honganji Temple, located near Kyoto Station, is one of Kyoto's seventeen World Heritage Sites and a renowned ginkgo spot in the Kansai region. Nishi Honganji Temple is the main temple of the Jodo Shinshu Honganji sect, officially known as Ryukokusan Honganji Temple. Its founder was Shonin Shinran. It was registered as a World Heritage Site in 1994. After Shinran's passing, his daughter Kakushinni and other admirers built a simple tomb in Higashiyama Otani and enshrined Shinran's image, marking the foundation of the Honganji sect. In 1591, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, as part of his Kyoto urban renewal project, gifted the Horikawa Rokujo area to the eleventh Shonin, the founder of Honganji Temple. After Toyotomi Hideyoshi's death, a succession dispute erupted within the Honganji sect. The pro-war faction, Kyono Shonin, with the support of Tokugawa Ieyasu, fled and built the Shinshu Honjo (officially known as Higashi Honganji) to the east of Honganji. However, Nishi Honganji remains the original.

The highlight is the Goei-do Hall (rebuilt in 1636), which boasts 227 wooden pillars and is the world's largest wooden structure. A seated wooden statue of Shinran Shonin (Goshin-egi) is placed in the center of the inner sanctuary. The Amida-do Hall (rebuilt in 1760) boasts a majestic interior, richly decorated with gilded ornaments, a typical example of the Momoyama period's artistic style.

Another highlight is the approximately 400-year-old ginkgo tree in front of the Goei-do Hall. Its most distinctive feature is its unusual horizontal growth. Despite being toppled by a typhoon many years ago, it has remained resilient.

Post by mybambam | Jul 5, 2025