Nishi Honganji

Kyoto's Nishi Honganji 🙏🏻 The century-old ginkgo trees are breathtakingly beautiful. There are three ginkgo trees in the garden, the tallest one that looks like a 🍗 is just over 100 years old. The 'Grandfather Tree' in the middle, surrounded by layers of protection, is over 400 years old. And there's another one on the side that looks like broccoli 🥦, which is 300 years old. All are very beautiful and photogenic! Nishi Honganji is the largest sect in Kyoto, and it's very generous 💰 so there's no admission fee! Nishi Honganji is located in Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan, and its official name is Ryukoku-zan Honganji. Honganji is the largest sect of the Jodo Shinshu school, founded by Shinran. It was originally built in 1272 (the 9th year of the Bun'ei era) as Otani Honganji (destroyed by Enryaku-ji monks in 1465), and after several relocations due to wars, the 8th Monshu Rennyo built the Yamashina Honganji in Kyoto's Yamashina in 1483 (the 15th year of the Bunmei era) (destroyed by the Tendai sect in alliance with the Rokkaku clan's army in 1535), and the 10th Monshu Kennyo built the Ishiyama Honganji in Settsu Province in 1542 (the 11th year of the Tenbun era) (destroyed by Oda Nobunaga in 1580). The Honganji in Ishiyama actually began construction in 1496 and existed as an ordinary temple of the Ikko sect before the destruction of the Yamashina Honganji. After the main temple in Yamashina was destroyed in 1535, the 10th Monshu Kennyo expanded the Ishiyama Honganji into a magnificent fortress with military defense capabilities, serving as the head temple of the Ikko sect. In 1591 (the 19th year of the Tensho era), the 11th Monshu Kyonyo, with the support of the Kampaku Toyotomi Hideyoshi, moved to the current location. In 1602, the former successor Kyonnyo, with the support of the daimyo Tokugawa Ieyasu, broke away from the sect and established the Shinshu Honbyo on the east side of the temple, creating an east-west opposition. Locals thus habitually referred to Ryukoku Honganji as the 'West Temple,' which over time became commonly known as Nishi Honganji. There are also Nishi Honganji temples in Taiwan and Shanghai, China.