Momijigari with Elizabeth Rose - Manshuin Monzeki, Kyoto

Elizabeth with the chrysanthemums on display at Manshuin Monzeki, Kyoto

After our tour at Shugakuin Imperial Villa (posted here), as part of our momijigari tour of Kyoto, we visited Manshuin Monzeki (曼殊院 門跡), a Tendai Buddhist temple founded in 728 by Dengyō Daishi (伝教大師) (767-822), the founder of the Tendai sect in Japan. At the time, the temple was originally named Tobibo and located near Hiei-zan Enryakuji (visited in Dec 2013, and revisited in October 2019, post pending). The temple was renamed Manshuin in 1108-1109 by its then-head priest Chujin. Later, in the early Edo era, Manshuin was relocated to its present site by Prince Ryosho, its then-head priest.

We walked to Manshuin from Shugakuin (posted here), but we underestimated the distance - it's about 1km, and some parts of it were uphill. The surrounding area is mostly residential, with small pockets of farmland and backyard gardens.

Passing some cosmos in bloom on our way to Manshuin Monzeki.

We were quite famished when we arrived. Saw a little signboard announcing a little no-frills Japanese restaurant near the entrance of Manshuin. So we decided to drop in for lunch.

Bento lunch set at the Japanese restaurant next to Manshuin Monzeki.

The bento sets are reasonably priced and tasted quite good. They had seasonal ingredients in them. Hubby and I were glad to have a seat and to eat something good before we moved on with our day's programme.

At the entrance to Manshuin were a row of very impressive chrysanthemums on display. Many of the blooms were bigger than Elizabeth's head, and were quite stunning! There were large pots of smaller chrysanthemums, but these were equally beautiful. The front entrance of Manshuin was just bathed in the aroma of chrysanthemums...which made me crave a cup of hot chrysanthemum tea, oddly.

Chrysanthemums at Manshuin Monzeki, Kyoto

Manshuin is a monzeki temple, meaning that at some point its head priests were of Japanese imperial or aristocratic lineage. It is said that the first generation of head priests were monks belonging to the Sugawara clan. According to the Manshuin information pamphlet, it stated that in 957, its then-head priest was Zesan Kokushi, a member of the Sugawara clan.

The best known head priest of Manshuin was Prince Ryosho, who was of Imperial lineage. As the son of Prince Hachijō Toshihito (八条宮 智仁親王), Prince Ryosho's paternal uncle was Emperor Go-Yōzei (後陽成天皇). His paternal grandfather was Prince Masahito (誠仁親王), and thus his great-grandfather was Emperor Ōgimachi (正親町天皇). His father, Prince Toshihito, built the Katsura Imperial Villa (桂離宮, Katsura Rikyū), another Imperial property I intend to visit some day.

The Dai-Shoin (大書院) and Ko-Shoin (小書院) of Manshuin are considered good examples of shoin architecture (shion-zukuri), a style that is characterised by tatami floors, removable fusama doors, study tables, staggered shelves and the tokonoma. The shoin style lives on today, in what is generally understood as a traditional Japanese style room, especially in tea rooms. The Dai-Shoin was constructed at the start of the Edo era, and its style is said to be similar as the Katsura Imperial Villa. Both the Dai-Shoin and Ko-Shoin are designated as Important Cultural Properties of Japan.

Gilded byobu screens at Manshuin

Manshuin is also known for its painted fusama panels and byōbu (folding screens) by eminent Japanese artists, including Kanō school masters and Edo era masters.

The "Tiger Room" (Great Vestibule) of Manshuin

The "Tiger Room" in the grand entrance contains the famed gilded fusama panels credited to Kanō Eitoku (1543-1590), one of the celebrated "three famous brushes" of the Kanō school. The byōbu screens in the "Waterfall Room" and "Snowy Scenes Room" of the Dai-Shion, and the fusama panels in the "Mt Fuji Room" and the "Twilight Room" of the Ko-Shoin are painted by Kanō Tan'yuu (1602-1674, another eminent Kanō school artist, and one of the "three famous brushes". Later in our trip, we would see more gilded fusama panels by Eitoku and Tan'yuu at Nanzenji (posted here).

During his time as head priest, Prince Ryosho reconstructed much of Manshuin. Thus, it is said that his originality and learning is much reflected in Manshuin's architectural style and the garden design.

The karesansui garden at Manshuin, designed by Prince Ryosho, is a designated Place of Scenic Beauty. The garden is said to be designed in the Enshū style, i.e. in the style of Kobori Enshū (小堀 遠州), the artist famed for his gardens in Sento Imperial Palace (posted here) and Nanzenji (posted here). Probably no coincidence here, as Enshū also designed the gardens of Katsura Imperial Villa, founded by Prince Ryosho's father.

The karesansui garden at Manshuin Monzeki, Kyoto. Kamejima in the middle, leftmost is the Ko-Shoin.

The information pamphlet describes the garden as having "a waterfall rock...from which a stream of white sand flows out, spreading onto both sides of the rock in front of the waterless waterfall". Rising from the raked gravel (representing flowing water) are 2 mossy islands, the Tsurushima (鶴島, "crane island") in front of the Dai-Shoin, and the Kamejima (亀島, "tortoise island") in front of the Ko-Shoin.

On the Kamejima, there used to be a pine tree shaped like a crawling tortoise. Both the crane and the tortoise are symbols of longevity in Japanese culture, the crane representing 1,000 years and the tortoise 10,000 years. (The same in Chinese culture.)

On the Tsurushima is an impressive 400-year-old Japanese white pine (Pinus pentaphylla) shaped in the form of a crane.

Part of the Tsurushima and the 400-year-old Japanese white pine, Manshuin Monzeki, Kyoto

Below the white pine is a stone lantern (ishidōrō) that is popularly called the Kurusu-dōrō ("Christian lantern"), Kirishima-dōrō or Manshuin-dōrō. The reason, I do not know.

Part of the Tsurushima, with the Kurusu-dōrō, Manshuin Monzeki, Kyoto

Kirishima azaleas and rhododendrons are also grown around the garden. They aren't in season now, but they would make a beautiful and colourful sight in spring.

There are other gardens around Manshuin that I think are well landscaped with interesting features.

Manshuin Monzeki, Kyoto

A courtyard moss garden at Manshuin Monzeki, Kyoto

Courtyard garden at Manshuin Monzeki, Kyoto

Manshuin Monzeki, Kyoto

Besides the courtyard gardens, there are also little gardens in the small pockets of spaces between buildings. A small rock garden in one of the small inner courtyards had a little moss garden with a rough-hewn stone lantern, and a simple stone water basin. It was so simple but lovely with the vibrant maple leaf floating in it.

Manshuin Monzeki, Kyoto

Overall, we had a nice, tranquil time in Manshuin. True there was not much autumn leaf-peeping to be done here. But the tranquility and charm of this small temple made it worthwhile to me. It was definitely a spot to go to get off the beaten track!

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More on Elizabeth's Japanese Autumn, November 2016

- I. Yokohama & the Miho Museum - Chinatown (Heichinrou, Yokohama Mazu Temple) ● Yamashita Park ● Zou-no-Hana ● Osanbashi Pier ● Yokohama Red Brick Warehouses ● Miho Museum

- II. Kyoto - Tofukuji ● Kiyomizudera ● Sohonzan Komyoji ● Eikando Zenrinji ● Manshuin Monzeki ● Iwakura Jissoin Monzeki ● Nanzenji, Nanzenin & Tenjuan ● Kitano Tenmangu ● Shugakuin Imperial Villa ● Sento Imperial Palace ● Kyoto Imperial Palace

- III. Tokyo - Tokyo University ● Rikugien ● Tokyo Imperial Palace & the East Gardens ● Kotonoha no Niwa trip to at Shinjuku Gyoen ● Italian at Salvatore Cuomo Bros., XEX Tokyo ● Sushi Masuda ● Nishiazabu Taku (aka Sushi Taku) ● Sushi Nakamura (1st taste of Juyondai) ● Sushi Tokami (1st taste of tossaki) ● molecular gastronomy at Tapas Molecular Bar ● French-Japanese at La Paix, Nihonbashi

- IV: Fuji Five Lakes - Part 1 (Bessho Sasa, revisited) ● Part 2 (Fuji Subaru 5th Station, Motosuko & Koyodai) ● Part 3 (Fujisansaku Park, Motosuko, Shojiko, Saiko, Kawaguchiko)

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