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Ryōan-ji
Ryōan-ji (, , ''The Temple of the Dragon at Peace'') is a Zen temple located in northwest Kyoto, Japan. It belongs to the Myōshin-ji school of the Rinzai branch of Zen Buddhism. The Ryōan-ji garden is considered one of the finest surviving examples of '' kare-sansui'' ("dry landscape"), a refined type of Japanese Zen temple garden design generally featuring distinctive larger rock formations arranged amidst a sweep of smooth pebbles (small, carefully selected polished river rocks) raked into linear patterns that facilitate meditation. The temple and its gardens are listed as one of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto, and as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. History The site of the temple was an estate of the Fujiwara clan in the 11th century. The first temple, the ''Daiju-in'', and the still existing large pond were built in that century by Fujiwara Saneyoshi. In 1450, Hosokawa Katsumoto, another powerful warlord, acquired the land where the temple stood. He built his res ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Japanese Rock Garden
The or Japanese rock garden, often called a Zen garden, is a distinctive style of Japanese garden. It creates a miniature stylized landscape through carefully composed arrangements of rocks, water features, moss, pruned trees and bushes, and uses gravel or sand that is raked to represent ripples in water. Zen gardens are commonly found at temples or monasteries. A Zen garden is usually relatively small, surrounded by a wall or buildings, and is usually meant to be seen while seated from a single viewpoint outside the garden, such as the porch of the ''hojo'', the residence of the chief monk of the temple or monastery. Many, with gravel rather than grass, are only stepped into for maintenance. Classical Zen gardens were created at temples of Zen Buddhism in Kyoto during the Muromachi period. They were intended to imitate the essence of nature, not its actual appearance, and to serve as an aid for meditation. History Early Japanese rock gardens Stone gardens existed in Japan a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zen Garden
The or Japanese rock garden, often called a Zen garden, is a distinctive style of Japanese garden. It creates a miniature stylized landscape through carefully composed arrangements of rocks, water features, moss, pruned trees and bushes, and uses gravel or sand that is raked to represent ripples in water. Zen gardens are commonly found at temples or monasteries. A Zen garden is usually relatively small, surrounded by a wall or buildings, and is usually meant to be seen while seated from a single viewpoint outside the garden, such as the porch of the ''hojo'', the residence of the chief monk of the temple or monastery. Many, with gravel rather than grass, are only stepped into for maintenance. Classical Zen gardens were created at temples of Zen Buddhism in Kyoto during the Muromachi period. They were intended to imitate the essence of nature, not its actual appearance, and to serve as an aid for meditation. History Early Japanese rock gardens Stone gardens existed in Japan at ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Historic Monuments Of Ancient Kyoto
The UNESCO World Heritage Site Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities) encompasses 17 locations in Japan within the city of Kyoto and its immediate vicinity. In 794, the Japanese imperial family moved the capital to Heian-kyō. The locations are in three cities: Kyoto and Uji in Kyoto Prefecture; and Ōtsu in Shiga Prefecture; Uji and Ōtsu border Kyoto to the south and north, respectively. Of the monuments, 13 are Buddhist temples, three are Shinto shrines, and one is a castle. The properties include 38 buildings designated by the Japanese government as '' National Treasures'', 160 properties designated as '' Important Cultural Properties'', eight gardens designated as '' Special Places of Scenic Beauty'', and four designated as ''Places of Scenic Beauty''. UNESCO listed the site as World Heritage in 1994. Selection criteria Kyoto has a substantial number of historic buildings, unlike other Japanese cities that lost buildings to foreign invasions and wa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kyoto
Kyoto ( or ; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it the List of cities in Japan, ninth-most populous city in Japan. More than half (56.8%) of Kyoto Prefecture's population resides in the city. The city is the cultural anchor of the substantially larger Greater Kyoto, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) home to a census-estimated 3.8 million people. It is also part of the even larger Keihanshin, Keihanshin metropolitan area, along with Osaka and Kobe. Kyoto is one of the oldest municipalities in Japan, having been chosen in 794 as the new seat of Japan's imperial court by Emperor Kanmu. The original city, named Heian-kyō, was arranged in accordance with traditional Chinese feng shui following the model of the ancient Chinese capitals of Chang'an and Luoyang. The emperors of Japan ruled fro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Myōshin-ji
is a temple complex in Kyoto, Japan, which serves as the head temple of the associated branch of Rinzai Zen Buddhism. The Myōshin-ji School is by far the largest school in Rinzai Zen, approximately as big as the other thirteen branches combined: it contains within it about 3,400 temples throughout Japan, together with a handful overseas, of the approximately six thousand total Rinzai temples, and also has nineteen associated monasteries, of the total of forty Rinzai monasteries and one nunnery. History The grounds of the temple were formerly a palace for the Emperor Hanazono. Hanazono abdicated in 1318 and took the tonsure (became a monk) in 1335, and in 1342 donated the palace to found the temple. The district and many places in the area are named "Hanazono" in his honor. The head temple was founded in 1342 by the Zen master Kanzan Egen (関山慧玄, 1277–1360), third patriarch in the influential Ōtōkan lineage. As with most Zen temples in Japan, in addition to the n ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Emperor Go-Reizei
was the 70th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 後冷泉天皇 (70)/ref> according to the traditional List of emperors of Japan, order of succession. Go-Reizei's reign spanned the years Heian period, 1045–1068. This 11th century sovereign was named after the 10th century Emperor Reizei and ''go-'' (後), translates literally as "later"; and thus, he is sometimes called the "Later Emperor Reizei". The Japanese word "''go''" has also been translated to mean the "second one"; and in some older sources, this emperor may be identified as "Reizei, the second", or as "Reizei II". Biography Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name (''imina'') was Chikahito''-shinnō'' (親仁親王). He was the eldest son of Emperor Go-Suzaku. His mother was Fujiwara clan, Fujiwara no Kishi (藤原嬉子), formerly Naishi-no kami, daughter of Fujiwara no Michinaga. Go-Reizei had three Empresses and no Imperial sons or daughters.Brown, p. 311. Eve ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Emperor Go-Suzaku
was the 69th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 後朱雀天皇 (69)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Go-Suzaku's reign spanned the years from 1036 through 1045. This 11th-century sovereign was named after the 10th-century Emperor Suzaku and ''go-'' (後), translates literally as "later;" and thus, he is sometimes called the "Later Emperor Suzaku". The Japanese word "''go''" has also been translated to mean the "second one;" and in some older sources, this emperor may be identified as "Suzaku, the second" or as "Suzaku II." Biography Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name (his ''imina'') was Atsunaga''-shinnō'' (敦良親王). His father was Emperor Ichijō. His mother was Fujiwara no Akiko/ Shōshi (藤原彰子), the daughter of Fujiwara no Michinaga (藤原道長). He was the younger brother and heir to Emperor Go-Ichijō. Go-Suzaku had five Empresses and seven Imperial children.Brown, p. 311 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Emperor Ichijō
was the 66th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 一条天皇 (66)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Ichijō's reign spanned the years from 986 to 1011. Biography Before he ascended to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name (''imina'') was Yasuhito''-shinnō'' (懐仁). Kanehito''-shinnō'' was the first son of Emperor En'yū and Fujiwara no Senshi, a daughter of Fujiwara no Kaneie. Since there are no documented siblings, it is supposed that he was an only child. Ichijō had five Empresses or Imperial consorts and five Imperial sons and daughters. Events of Ichijō's life His reign coincided with the culmination of Heian period culture and the apex of the power of the Fujiwara clan. He ascended to the throne after a period of political instability that began within the Fujiwara clan after they successfully eliminated the Minamoto clan as a political rival. The internal power struggle that ensued within the Fujiwara saw the unt ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Emperor Kazan
was the 65th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 花山天皇 (65)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Kazan's reign spanned the years from 984 through 986. Biography Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name (''imina'') was Morosada''-shinnō'' (師貞親王). Morasada was the eldest son of Emperor Reizei. The prince's mother was Fujiwara no Kaneko/''Kaishi'' (藤原懐子), who was a daughter of ''sesshō'' Fujiwara no Koretada. Morasada was also the brother of Emperor Sanjō.Titsingh, p. 148. Events of Kazan's life Prince Morasada was seventeen years of age at the time of the succession. * October 6, 984 ('' Eikan 1, 27th day of the 8th month''): In the 15th year of Emperor En'yu's reign (円融天皇十五年), he abdicated; and the succession (''senso'') was received by a nephew. Shortly thereafter, Emperor Kazan is said to have acceded to the throne (''sokui''). He commissioned the Shūi Wakashū. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Emperor Uda
was the 59th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 宇多天皇 (59)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Uda's reign spanned the years from 887 through 897. Traditional narrative Name and legacy Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name (''imina'') was or ''Chōjiin-tei''. Emperor Uda was the third son of Emperor Kōkō. His mother was Empress Dowager Hanshi, a daughter of Prince Nakano (who was himself a son of Emperor Kanmu). Uda had five Imperial consorts and 20 Imperial children.Brown, p. 289. Particularly important sons include: * Prince Atsuhito (884–930) * Prince Atsuzane (893–967) Historical background In ancient Japan, there were four noble clans, the '' Gempeitōkitsu'' . One of these clans, the Minamoto clan , is also known as Genji. Some of Uda's grandchildren were granted the surname ''Minamoto'', the most used surname for former Japanese royalty. In order to distinguish Uda's descen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sōami
was a Japanese painter and landscape art, landscape artist. Family Sōami was the grandson and son of the painters and art connoisseurs Nōami and Geiami, respectively. Career Sōami was in the service of the Ashikaga shogunate and is claimed to have designed the rock garden of the Ginkaku-ji temple. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Sōami's paintings were in the style of China's Southern School; some of his greatest pieces covered over twenty panels, and depicted Japanese landscapes using Chinese methods. His work was among the first ''Nanga (Japanese painting), nanga'' or Southern School work in Japan. Sōami is most known for hiLandscape of the Four Seasons (Eight Views of the Xiao and Xiang Rivers)(at Archive.org). Famous works * Ryōan-ji: Zen temple whose rock garden may have been designed by Soami * Seika: A style of flower arrangement supported by Soami * Daisen-in: A Zen temple noted in part for screen paintings attributed to Soami References * Etō, S ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
