By Suvendrini Kakuchi
Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan, remains the heart of Japanese traditional culture today. The city, with its beautiful temples, sublime Zen gardens, and majestic palaces, was home to the Japanese Imperial Family during the Heian Period over a thousand years ago. The Emperor relocated to Tokyo in the 19th century.
Yet Kyoto is also recognized as the birthplace of a new era in Japanese culture that began 400 years ago. Known as the Kanei era (1624–1645), meaning “Great Peace,” this period marked a flourishing of the arts among the local public. It occurred during the reign of a Tokugawa warlord, who is credited with establishing a peaceful rule after unifying the warring states in the early 17th century.
Ninnaji Temple wooden traditional tea house | Courtesy of Ninnaji Temple
Enjoying freedom from conflict, the residents of Kyoto, both wealthy tradesmen and ordinary citizens, immersed themselves in further refining the city’s traditional arts. The Kanei period is thus renowned for the blossoming of new art, poetry, and designs that added to traditional temple architecture, Ikebana (flower arrangement), and the richness of Japanese literature.
Ninnaji Temple autumn night illumination
A landmark of this era is the esoteric Buddhist Ninnaji Temple, which has close ties to Japan’s Imperial lineage and is located in the northwest of Kyoto. A visit to the temple, now a UNESCO World Heritage site, highlights the public’s refinement of ancient arts and culture, marked by exchanges between royalty and ordinary people. The temple’s Hondo, or main hall, contains historical golden Buddhist statues, with new rituals added to traditional ceremonies, creating a path for the Emperor to meet with local monks and his subjects. The temple also features two ancient tea houses, open for public viewing, where famous authors and artists of the Kanei era gathered for exchanges.
Ninnaji Temple, rebuilt by Tokugawa Iemitsu in 1634, remains one of Japan’s most important contributions to the development of national arts and culture and is a must-visit.
Website: https://ninnaji.jp
