Yogen-in Temple (養源院)
Yogen-in Temple is a Buddhist temple belonging to the Gengo-in school of the True Pure Land Sect located in Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto City. It is situated to the west of Sanju Sangen-do Temple. The name Yogen-in Temple is derived from the posthumous Buddhist name of Nagamasa ASAI.
History
Yogen-in Temple was founded and Seihaku (a cousin of Nagamasa and a monk of Mt. Hiei) named as kaisan (founding priest) in 1594 when Hideyoshi TOYOTOMI's concubine Yodo-dono requested that Hideyoshi found a temple in memory of her father Nagamasa ASAI. It was later destroyed by fire. In 1621, the remains of Fushimi-jo Castle were relocated to the site by the request of Hidetada TOKUGAWA's lawful wife Sugenin, and it became the family temple of the Tokugawa family.
Buildings
Main hall: Said to be the relocated remains of Fushimi Castle-jo and the ceiling of the corridor to the left, right and front is known as the bloody ceiling.
Bloody ceiling: Over 1000 men died under Mototada TORII while defending the castle during the Siege of Fushimi, a conflict which is said to have led to the Battle of Sekigahara, and the floorboards from the corridor in which the remaining men committed suicide were made into this ceiling to serve as a memorial on which fresh-looking bloodstains can still be seen. Such a bloody ceilings are present at Hosen-in Temple, Seiden-ji Temple and Genko-an Temple but that at Yogen-in Temple is said to be the most vivid.
Uguisubari-no-roka (nightingale corridor): Said to have been created by early Edo period carpenter and sculptor Jingoro HIDARI who is famed for the nemurineko (sleeping cat) prayer board at Nikko Tosho-gu Shrine.
Sliding panel paintings and cedar doors: Created by Sotatsu TAWARAYA (Important Cultural Properties) and said to have been painted in memory of those who committed suicide at Fushimi-jo Castle. The stylized depictions of elephants, lions and giraffes on the cedar doors are known for their original appearance.
Garden
This garden was created by Enshu KOBORI and incorporates the surrounding peaks of Mt. Higashiyama and Mt. Amidagamine.
Cultural properties
Important Cultural Properties
12 color on gold paintings of pine trees (8 sliding screens, 4 doors) by Sotatsu TAWARAYA
8 color paintings on 4 cedar doors (lions on the front and giraffes on the back; lions on the front and white elephants on the back) by Sotatsu TAWARAYA.
Access
Walk from 'Shichijo Station' on the Keihan Main Line. Take the Kyoto City Bus from JR Kyoto Station to 'Hakubutsukan Sanjusangendo mae' bus stop and walk.