 Most viewed - Uji 宇治市 |
Marijuana leaf (or maybe maple leaf) design on this street gutter cover near Manpukuji. Probably hemp leaves, commonly used for making cloth.126 views
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Fire hydrant manhole. Near Manpukuji, Uji, Kyoto.120 views
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Lotus in a pot at Manpukuji temple.112 views
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Appetizers of our full-course, Chinese-style religious vegetarian cuisine at Icho-an. This plate was for four people. Very different, very colorful, and such a unique taste and deliciousness that I've never had before.99 viewsFucha ryori is healthy too. Well worth the ¥5,000 which I first thought was quite pricey for a religious meal with no meat. Got stuffed and we could take home some food too.
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A simple bento (box lunch) fucha ryori at Manpukuji temple, Uji, Kyoto 普茶料理96 views
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Fucha ryori has no fish nor meat.93 views
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Our Manpukuji priest guide admits his resemblance to Hotei and kindly posed next to it.92 views
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Our Manpukuji priest guide spoke through our interpreter.91 views
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Manpukuji's Kaizan-do Hall (Important Cultural Property) where sect founder Yinyuan Longqi (Ingen) is worshipped. 開山堂（かいさんどう）88 views
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Manpukuji's famous fish board. 魚梆87 views
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Chinese design on the railing. Temple buildings are in Ming-style. Many buildings are Important Cultural Properties, but no National Treasures. 卍崩しのデザイン86 views
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Daiohoden Hall (Important Cultural Property), Manpukuji's main worship hall or temple. 大雄寶殿（だうおうほうでん）86 views
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Chinese wooden fish drum for beating during prayers.85 views
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Map of the Byodo-in temple complex. It's not that big. The Phoenix Hall has a central hall flanked by two L-shaped wings in front of a pond. 61 views
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Byodoin Museum Hoshokan displays many Buddhist art treasures of the temple. Opened in 2001. You can visit this museum after you see the Phoenix Hall.61 views
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Since photography inside the central hall is not allowed, here's a photo of the replica at Valley of the Temples in Hawaii. It is very similar. One thing missing are the celestial Buddhas decorating the white walls behind the Buddha.61 views
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Byodo-in on the back of the ¥10 coin.60 views
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Entrance to Byodo-in. Pay admission fee to enter.60 views
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Karahafu roof gable60 views
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Only part of the original Okunoyama Chaen remains as a tea field. The original Okunoyama tea field was larger. Notice the shade.60 views
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The pond as seen from the Phoenix Hall.59 views
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Entrance to the see the sitting Amida Buddha. Photography inside the central hall is not allowed.59 views
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Although the major renovations were completed, they were still restoring the paintings on the doors, etc., of Byodo-in.59 views
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Sitting Amida Buddha replica at Valley of the Temples in Hawaii. It is very similar to the real one at Byodo-in.59 views
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The central hall houses a sitting Amida Buddha with celestial floating Buddhas on the surrounding walls. The Phoenix Hall was originally constructed in 1053 (Heian Period).58 views
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In Uji, Kyoto, Byodo-in is one of Japan's most famous temples and most recognizable buildings.58 viewsByodo-in is acuallly a temple complex, but this building, called the Phoenix Hall (Ho'odo 鳳凰堂), is the main attraction and a National Treasure.
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The center structure of both the original and replica houses a statue of a sitting Buddha.58 views
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Entering the Phoenix Hall.58 views
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Looks like intricate work and it's gonna look fabulous when it's done.58 views
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People from Hawaii would know Byodo-in since there's a ferro-concrete replica in a park-like cemetery called Valley of the Temples on the island of Oahu.58 viewsThe replica of the Phoenix Hall was built in 1968 to mark the 100th anniversary of the first Japanese immigrants to Hawaii. I photographed the one in Hawaii last year and now I can compare the two.
As you can see, the replica is very accurate. They say that the one in Hawaii is a smaller scale, but it looks the same as the original (made of wood) in Kyoto. Perhaps only the surrounding garden is smaller. Also, the one in Hawaii seems to house offices on the upper floor. (If you look behind the building, you can see stairs and air conditioners.) The original one's upper floor is see-through with no walls.
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Uji River is near Byodo-in.58 views
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Icho-an restaurant serves Chinese-style shojin-ryori (religious vegetarian cuisine) called fucha-ryori (普茶料理). This is another thing about Manpukuji. The sect's founder Ingen helped to spread Chinese cuisine in Japan from the 17th c.58 views
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Entrance to the Byodo-in Phoenix Hall where you can see the sitting Amida Buddha after paying the extra ¥300 admission. Have to buy a ticket to enter at the specified time because only a limited number can fit inside.57 views
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The Byodo-in admission ticket does not include admission to the Phoenix Hall's central hall (sitting Amida Buddha).57 views
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The center structure of both the original and replica houses a statue of a sitting Buddha.57 viewsThe replica in Hawaii has a much more dramatic backdrop with the Koolau mountains. The original Byodo-in has no mountains in the background, and thankfully and miraculously, no tall, modern buildings either.
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A gate being renovated.57 views
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Manpukuji (萬福寺) is a large temple complex and headquarters of a Chinese Zen sect (Obaku-shu). It's one of the Big Three Zen sects in Japan (besides Soto and Rinzai).57 viewsThe founder was Chinese Zen master Yinyuan Longqi (Ingen) from Fujien Province in China who came to Japan via Nagasaki in 1654. Manpukuji (or Mampukuji) is part of the Japan Heritage for Uji tea history. A short walk from Obaku Station on the JR Nara Line and Keihan Uji Line.
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Very fine roof.57 views
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石碑57 views
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Daiohoden Hall entrance.57 views
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Side view of the Shaka Nyorai.57 views
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Rice was finally served at the end with pickles.57 views
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Inside the Tennoden Hall is Hotei, one of the Seven Gods of Good Fortune. 天王殿（てんのうでん）、弥勒菩薩（布袋）56 views
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Daiohoden Hall roof.56 views
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About Daiohoden Hall.56 views
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Chinese-style incense burner.56 views
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In front of Daiohoden Hall.56 views
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Shaka Nyorai or Gautama Buddha, founder of Buddhism. 釈迦如来座像56 views
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Daiohoden Hall also has statues of the Eighteen Arhats. 十八羅漢像56 viewsThey are the original followers of the Buddha who have reached the state of Nirvana and are free of worldly desires.
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Each arhat has a name.56 views
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Manpukuji's famous wooden fish board used like a gong to indicate the time. 魚梆56 views
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Prayer tablets (ema)56 views
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On my second visit to Manpukuji, I went with a group of foreigners and had lunch at the temple's restaurant Oryokaku (黄龍閣) serving Chinese-style shojin-ryori (religious vegetarian cuisine) called fucha-ryori (普茶料理).56 views
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Fucha ryori became very popular after it was first introduced in Japan. No wonder. It looks exotic and tastes absolutely delicious. Salad.56 views
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About Koma no Ashikage-en Monument. According to legend, local people in Uji pondered over how to sow the seeds to grow tea.56 viewsIt was then Priest Myoe (明恵), from the Kegon-shu Buddhist Sect, came on horseback and trotted on the field saying, "Plant the seeds in my horse's hoof prints." This monument was built by Uji tea growers in 1926 to express their appreciation to Myoe.
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In 15th century, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu and Yoshinaga loved Uji tea so much that they designated seven tea fields as the Seven Reknown Tea Fields. Today only Okunoyama Chaen remains.56 views
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Sanmon main gate. 三門（さんもん）55 views
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At the Sanmon Gate, pay the admission to enter the temple. It's a very interesting temple, but they don't really have English explanations.55 views
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The Sanmon main gate (exit side). 三門（さんもん）55 views
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From Sanmon Gate, path to Tennoden Hall. The path is modeled after dragon scales.55 views
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From Sanmon Gate, path to Tennoden Hall. The path is modeled after dragon scales.55 views
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Karahafu roof gable55 views
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Altar inside the Kaizan-do Hall.55 views
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Tennoden Hall (Important Cultural Property). 天王殿（てんのうでん）55 views
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伽藍堂55 views
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Near the Sanmon Gate is this entrance to Icho-an restaurant. 銀杏庵55 views
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Manpukuji also has a subtemple and treasure house called Hozoin (宝蔵院) noted for storing tens of thousands of woodblocks that are still used for printing Buddhist scriptures.55 views
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Tetsugen Doko (1630-1682), one of Ingen's Japanese disciples, started the project to make these printing blocks still used today.55 views
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Chotaro Horii is the 6th-generation owner/operator of Horii Shichimeien which was originally Okunoyama Chaen (奥ノ山茶園), one of Uji's Seven Reknown Tea Fields (七名園).55 views
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Chinese-style Somon Gate (Important Cultural Property), the first entrance to Manpukuji. It's a quite a large temple complex with numerous buildings. A few of the major buildings are open to the public. 総門（そうもん）54 views
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Lotus pond in front of Sanmon Gate. 放生池54 views
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Before going to Tennoden Hall, we turned left to this small gate leading to Kaizan-do Hall.54 views
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Chinese-style architecture is obvious with the roof corners curling upward.54 views
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Statue behind the Hotei statue.54 views
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Daiohoden Hall (Important Cultural Property), Manpukuji's main temple. 大雄寶殿（だうおうほうでん）54 views
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Round window at Daiohoden Hall.54 views
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Altar inside Daiohoden Hall, Manpukuji's main temple. It worships a sitting Shaka Nyorai or Gautama Buddha. 大雄寶殿（だうおうほうでん）54 views
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These mats on the floor are not for sitting. The priests stand behind the mats and chant.54 views
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Rear view of Daiohoden Hall.54 views
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About the Bell Tower54 views
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Women cleaning the sliding lattice doors before repapering.54 views
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"Obaku-san Fucha Ryori" bento-type (box lunch) fucha ryori for our large tour group. It costs around ¥3,000.54 views
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Inside Icho-an. We could immediately tell that it was Chinese since the food was served on a turntable (Lazy Susan) which you can see in the photo.54 views(This photo was taken after we finished lunch.)
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Manpukuji also has a subtemple and treasure house called Hozoin (宝蔵院) noted for storing tens of thousands of woodblocks used for printing Buddhist scriptures.54 views
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Woodblock for printing Buddhist scripture. Looks very worn out.54 views
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Buddhist picture print too.54 views
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Well54 views
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Koma no Ashikage-en Monument in front of the entrance to Manpukuji temple. This can be roughly translated as "Hoof Print Field Monument." 駒蹄影園跡碑54 viewsThis monument is part of the Japan Heritage designation for Uji tea history.
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The Sanmon main gate (Important Cultural Property). 三門（さんもん）53 views
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From Sanmon Gate, path to Tennoden Hall. The path is modeled after dragon scales.53 views
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Kaizan-do Hall53 views
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Manpukuji temple bell in a corridor.53 views
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Manpukuji temple bell in a corridor.53 views
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Inside Manpukuji's Tennoden Hall is Hotei, one of the Seven Gods of Good Fortune. 天王殿（てんのうでん）、弥勒菩薩（布袋）53 views
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Corridor to Daiohoden Hall.53 views
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Bell tower (Important Cultural Property)53 views
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Dessert. One of the best meals I ever had in Japan. Advance reservations are required. It's not a walk-in restaurant. More info photos in Japanese: https://www.obakusan.or.jp/eat/53 views
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Entrance to Hozoin.53 views
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Sample printings.53 views
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Very unusual thatched roof home near Manpukuji.53 views
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寿塔52 views
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Manpukuji corridor lanterns.52 views
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Rear view of Daiohoden Hall.52 views
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Hatto Hall's bell-shaped window.52 views
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About Hatto Hall. 52 views
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Plum blossoms.52 views
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Pine tree52 views
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Near their tea farm, Horii Shichimeien also has a tea shop selling some of Japan's finest tea.52 views
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The big Sanmon Gate in the background.51 views
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Behind the Daiohoden Hall is Hatto Hall (Important Cultural Property) where Buddhist lectures are held. 法堂（はっとう）51 views
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伽藍堂 (Important Cultural Property)51 views
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Little pine cones at Manpukuji.51 views
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"Curios" is an archaic term from the Meiji Period.51 views
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Behind Horii Shichimeien's tea shop is a small tea house for tea ceremony. Mr. Horii kindly prepares his finest marcha tea for us.51 views
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Manpukuji has a lot of covered corridors linking the major buildings.50 views
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Small grinder.49 views
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Matcha tea and a confection. The tea was outstanding. It had a malty, matcha taste. Pretty thick. The aftertaste was interesting.48 views
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Mrs. Horii prepares a different kind of tea.47 views
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Inside Horii Shichimeien's tea factory.47 views
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Sample grinder. The dried tea leaves are fed through a funnel to the grinding stones.47 views
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Some of the finest Uji matcha powder at Horii Shichimeien.46 views
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It was a room full of stone grinders grinding matcha tea leaves into fine matcha power.46 views
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Stone grinders grinding matcha (tencha) tea leaves into fine matcha power at Horii Shichimeien's tea factory.46 views
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Some of the finest Uji matcha powder at Horii Shichimeien.45 views
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Matcha tea leaves to be ground.45 views
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Tourists visiting Byodo-in temple can also experience and taste Uji tea at nearby Takumi no Yakata (匠の館).45 views
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Our tea-making kit. Everything is provided.45 views
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In the end, we could even eat the used tea leaves which tasted like spinach maybe.45 views
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We then got to see Horii Shichimeien's matcha tea factory. (Note that this is not open to normal tourists.)44 views
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Grinder face44 views
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Entrance to Takumi no Yakata (匠の館).44 views
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Inside Takumi no Yakata. Like a workshop or classroom for making tea.44 views
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Stone grinders grinding matcha tea leaves into fine matcha power at Horii Shichimeien's tea factory. Watching these grinders was mesmerizing..43 views
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Takumi no Yakata was where we could make our own tea (with careful instructions).43 views
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Our instructor (on the left).42 views
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Our tea-making kit. 42 views
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Another cup.41 views
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Hot water thermos.40 views
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First cup of tea.40 views
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