Fodor's Expert Review Shoren-in Temple

Large 800-year-old camphor trees flank the entrance path to this Tendai sect temple. Although the present main hall dates from 1895, its interior sliding doors and screens are the work of the 16th-century painter Motonobu Kano, known for combining Chinese ink techniques and Japanese ornamental styles, and more recently, the vivid blue-and-gold lotus paintings of Kimura Hideki, a Kyoto artist, are displayed. The painting of a blue Fudo Myo-o, a Buddhist deity, is a copy of the 900-year-old National Treasure now kept in the Kyoto National Museum. Shoren-in served as a temporary Imperial Palace during the 18th century. Its stroll gardens and delicate interior architecture represent fine examples of staggered tokonoma (alcove) shelves and covered corridors leading to other buildings. In fall and spring the temple is lighted up from 6 to 10 pm.