Imagine stones whispering stories of centuries. This is the Daiou-in Temple’s Five-Ring Stone in Kyoto. Daiou-in is a Zen temple of the Rinzai sect. It offers a tranquil escape from Kyoto’s bustling streets.
Daiou-in Temple was built in 1603. Mitsutada Ishiko built it as his father’s family temple. Genjo Enan was its founder. The main temple and Shoin were rebuilt in 1726. The Kuri was renovated at the end of the Edo period.
Notice the sliding door paintings. Zeshin Shibata painted them. He was active from the late Edo to early Meiji periods. The main gate, main temple, and Kuri are cultural properties. Kyoto Prefecture has designated them.
The garden has moss and pine trees. It is beautiful. A pond on the east side is rare within Myoshinji Temple.
Unfortunately, Daiou-in Temple is not always open. You can visit during special spring and autumn events. You can also book a special reservation visit.
Goshuin stamps are only available when the temple is open. The chief priest handwrites them. Reservations are required. The goshuin book features beautiful botanical pictures. It is very popular.
Zeshin Shibata was a master artist. He worked with lacquer and painted in the Japanese style. He lived from the end of the Edo period to the middle of the Meiji period. Some say he was a genius only truly understood by those in lacquer art. His skills were so advanced that they cannot be reproduced.
Kuniyoshi Utagawa admired Zeshin’s fan paintings. Utagawa became Zeshin’s disciple. Zeshin gave Kuniyoshi the title Senshin.
Zeshin created 72 wall paintings for Daiou-in Temple’s main hall in 1830. He was only 24 years old. He studied the Shijo school of painting in Kyoto. Painting at Daiou-in was the end of his training.
Many of Zeshin’s works were lost in the Great Edo Fire. Westerners admired his stylish art. Many surviving pieces are overseas. The Daiou-in fusuma painting is important. It helps us understand Shibata Zeshin’s early work.
The Daiou-in Fusuma Painting Project recreated flower motifs. Meiji Palace once had a hall called Chigusa no Ma. It had a flower-maru ceiling by Zeshin Shibata. The ceiling was lost in the war. The project revived the flower circles as fusuma paintings.
Yasukawa Nyofu painted them. He specializes in temples and shrines. He has restored national treasures. The project completed in 2020. It features 43 flower circles and 18 sliding doors.
Listen closely now. You may hear the Suikinkutsu. Water droplets fall into a cavity. The sound echoes. It is a cool and calming sound. The Ishiko family gave the Suikinkutsu to Daiou-in Temple.
Remember the Daiou-in Five-Ring Stone. It represents history. It represents art. It represents peace. It represents a connection to Kyoto’s past.