Drawn by whispers of autumn beauty some say Enri-An is a hidden gem in Kyoto. Enri-An is a small temple of the Tenryuji School of the Rinzai Sect. It is located in Ukyo Ward in Kyoto City.
This temple is only open to the public during the fall foliage season. It is truly a well-known spot for those in the know. Finding Enri-An’s entrance can be a bit of a quest. You’ll need to walk along the road connecting Seiryo-ji and Nison-in. Look for a narrow path leading north into a bamboo forest.
Enri-An Temple’s grounds were once home to the Ogura Villa. Fujiwara no Teika lived here. He was a court noble and poet from the late Heian to early Kamakura periods. Teika compiled the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu. This is a collection of one hundred waka poems by one hundred poets. It had a great influence on the Japanese people’s appreciation of waka.
Later, the Reizei family restored the temple in the mid-Edo period. They were descendants of Teika. Emperor Reigen named the villa Enrian. This means a disenchanted hermitage.
The temple declined again. It was restored in the Meiji period. Enri-An boasts a shoin or study hall. It also features a tea ceremony room called Shiguretei. You can also find Teika’s mound here. Fujiwara no Teika is worshiped at this mound. The Shigure-tei tea house was rebuilt in 1923. It was modeled after Fujiwara no Teika’s study hall.
The Hon-do hall is the main temple building. It had to be rebuilt in 1953 after a typhoon destroyed it in 1950.
The temple’s Sumigaki Goshuin showcases a poem by Fujiwara no Teika. It speaks of longing and waiting. “Like the salt sea-weed burning in the evening calm. On Matsuo’s shore, all my being is aflame, awaiting her who does not come.”
To reach Enri-An, you can take a JR train to Saga-Arashiyama Station. From there, it is a 15-minute walk.
Enri-An is especially beautiful in autumn. The colored leaves create a stunning scene. The fallen leaves add to the temple’s charm. The word “Enri” means not being bored. A visit to Enri-An is anything but boring. It is a journey through history, poetry, and natural beauty.