Kyoto - Nanzen-ji Temple

As well as the Heian Shrine there is another temple worth visiting in the east of the city. It is the Nanzenji Temple, which belongs to the Rinzai sect. (Other temple complexes belonging to this sect in the north are the Kinkajuji, Ryoanji and Daitokuji Temples.)

The Temple was founded in 1293. It is delightfully situated in the middle of a copse at the foot of a hill. Its most important attraction is its two-story Torii, dating from 1628, with ceiling paintings by famous contemporary artists. There are also panels on the sliding walls in the main hall. The portrayal of tigers in a bamboo thicket is particularly striking. The temple complex has a stone garden.