The major reason for visiting this temple is for its famous paintings by Tohaku Hasegawa and his son Kyuzo -- known as the Hasegawa school. Some of the best examples of Momoyama-period (late-16th-century) art, these paintings were originally created for the sliding screens at Shoun-in, an earlier temple commissioned by Hideyoshi Toyotomi and built in 1591 on the same site. When his concubine, Yodogimi, bore him a son in 1589, Hideyoshi named him Tsurumatsu, or Crane Pine -- two symbols of longevity. But the child died at age two, and Shoun-in was built for Tsurumatsu's enshrinement. The paintings were saved from the fires that destroyed Shoun-in and are now on display in the Exhibition Hall of Chishaku-in. In his later years Tohaku Hasegawa painted exclusively for Zen temples, and his masterpieces ranged from lyrical monochrome ink creations to more colorful, bolder works, such as the screen paintings exhibited here. Rich in detail and in strong colors on a gold background, the screens display the seasons by using the symbols of cherry, maple, pine, and plum trees and autumn grasses.

From Kyoto Station take Bus 206 or 208 to the Higashiyama-Shichijo stop. Chishaku-in is on the east side of Higashi-oji-dori.