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Jakko-in Review

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Jakko-in

Address: Sakyo-ku, Kyoto

Category: Religious Sites
Location: Sakyo-ku

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Fodor's Review:

In April 1185, after a two-year battle, the Taira clan met its end in a naval battle against the Minamoto clan. The Minamotos slaughtered the Tairas, turning the Seto Nai-kai (Inland Sea) red with Taira blood. Seeing that all was lost, the Taira women drowned themselves, taking with them the eight-year-old emperor Antoku. His mother, the beautiful, 29-year-old Kenreimon-in, leaped into the sea, but Minamoto soldiers snagged her hair with a grappling hook and hauled her back on board their ship. She was the sole surviving member of the Taira clan.

Taken back to Kyoto, Kenreimon-in shaved her head and became a nun. First she had a small hut at Choraku-ji in eastern Kyoto; when that collapsed in an earthquake she was accepted at Jakko-in. She lived in solitude in a 10-foot-square cell made of brushwood and thatch for 27 years, until her death ended the Taira line. You may need to ask for directions to her mausoleum, which is higher up the hill, away from the throng of visitors and along the path by the side of the temple. When Kenreimon-in came to Jakko-in it was far removed from Kyoto. Now Kyoto's sprawl reaches this far and beyond, but the temple, hidden in trees, is still a place of solitude and a sanctuary for nuns. The main hall burned down in 1999 and has since been reconstructed, providing a contrast with the aged gate. From Kyoto Station take Kyoto Line Bus 17 or 18 for a 90-minute ride and get out at the Ohara bus stop; the fare is ¥480. Walk 20 minutes or so along the road leading to the northwest.

Cost: ¥500
Open: Mar.-Nov., daily 9-5; Dec.-Feb., daily 9-4:30

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