Enko-ji (圓光寺)

On the next day we visited Enko-ji in north-eastern Kyoto.  It was founded by Tokugawa Ieyasu, the shogun who brought about the Edo Period.  It was fairly crowded despite on a normal weekday. 

The rock garden Honryutei (奔龍庭) depicts a dragon soaring in sea of clouds manifested by stones+pillar rocks and white sands respectively.  It’s quite unique in all the rock gardens that we’ve visited.

 

The landscape garden Jyu-gyu no niwa (十牛之庭) is famous for its maple trees whose koyo has also past its peak with mostly fallen leaves on the ground.

 

Slightly uphill there is a small grave with a wooden plate indicating the tomb of Tokugawa Ieyasu, though his actual remains could be buried elsewhere. However, the view of northern Kyoto was wide and far on clear days.  What a clever positioning of the grave !

 

 

In the inner temple area there is a small bamboo forest Ohkyo chikurin (応挙竹林).  And a small exhibition hall inside the Kondo.

 

 

Kyoto Botanical Garden

After brief local lunch we visited the Kyoto Botanical garden. It was huge though we focused mainly on the area where there were maple, Gingko and sakura trees. It was not crowded and we stayed there for roughly 1.5 hours before having a coffee break in the cafe adjacent to the entrance of Kitayama subway station.  

 

 

 

=====>   Omihachiman  =====>