Nanzen-ji Temple

Nanzen-ji Temple is the main Buddhist temple of the Rinzai sect. This temple is one of the most revered Zen temples in Kyoto and is treated with great care, even when compared to other high-profile Zen temples, like the top Kyoto's Five Mountains (the Kyoto Gozan). The temple is considered to have the highest standards not only in Kyoto, but also among Zen temples across the country, and it is a popular spot visited by many. One of the iconic features of Nanzen-ji is the “Sanmon” gate, which is dubbed one of the three major gates in Japan. Mentioned in the famous Kabuki performance of “Sanmon Gosan no Kiri," Goemon Ishikawa's lines: “What superb scenery, and what a great view” are very well known. You can climb this huge gate of a towering 22 meters, so please go and enjoy the view from up high. Another feature of Nanzen-ji is the "Suilokaku" bridge located on the right-hand side of the Sanmon. The Suilokaku bridge is often used as a shooting location for suspense TV shows and movies. With its red brick, European design, it's hard to believe that this impressive arch bridge is located within the Japanese temple’s premises. In addition, there are many artifacts in the temple such as the magnificent fusuma painting by Kanoha which is listed as a national treasures. There is also a Japanese garden designed by the famous Masakazu Kobori. There are also many famous sub-temples in the area to visit if you have time to spare.