The path from the gate to the main hall is a tunnel of greenery that makes you feel like you've stepped into a sanctuary
I came to Rinno-ji Temple in Sendai because I heard it had a beautiful garden. Rinno-ji Temple is associated with the Date clan, who were warring feudal lords, and is said to have been founded in 1441 by the 11th Date Mochimune. After the Meiji Restoration, the temple lost the external protection of the Date family and fell into decline, but was restored in the 1910s. The famous garden seems to have been created during the reconstruction. Although it does not have a long history, it is a Zen garden that is highly regarded as one of the most famous gardens in the Northeast.
The three-storey pagoda reflected on the surface of the water in the pond at the centre of the garden is a beautiful sight, as is the stone garden behind the main hall. But it was not the garden that attracted me to the temple grounds. It was the approach from the gate to the main hall. The path, which was not very wide, was lined with trees on both sides and when I walked along the path covered with fresh greenery, I felt as if I was walking through a tunnel of greenery. The visual structure of the path made me aware that I was entering a sanctuary from the mundane world. It is an appropriate entrance to a Buddhist temple, isn't it? Rinno-ji is a Soto Zen temple, after all. I think it is necessary to make a clear boundary between the mundane world and the Buddhist world, because there are monks practising in the temple.
| Jun 2024 IN THE CITY MIYAGI | |
| APPROACH SENDAI TEMPLE |
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PHOTO DATA
No
12601
Shooting Date
Nov 2023
Posted On
June 19, 2024
Modified On
June 25, 2024
Place
Sendai, Miyagi
Genre
Street Photography
Camera
SONY ALPHA 7R V
Lens
ZEISS BATIS 2/40 CF
