Chishaku-in

Chishaku-in Review

Paintings by Tohaku Hasegawa and his son Kyuzo—some of the best examples of Momoyama-period—are the best reason to visit this temple. Hasegawa painted exclusively for Zen temples in his later years, with masterpieces ranging from lyrical monochrome ink creations to bolder, more colorful works like the screen paintings exhibited here. Rich in detail, the screens evoke the seasons with the images of cherry, maple, pine, and plum as well as autumn grasses. The paintings, from the 16th century, were originally created for an earlier temple on the same site. From Kyoto Station, take Bus 206 or 208 to the Higashiyama-Shichijo stop. Chishaku-in is at the end of Shichijo-dori where it terminates at Higashi-oji-dori.