I showed a lot of discipline yesterday avoiding such easy attention getting blog topics as Bobby Valentine's last game with my home-away-from-home-team Chiba Lotte Marines and JAL's bizarre new energy conservation measure (let's just say it involves passengers making themselves lighter before lift-off). Today's travel article in the Toronto Star was just too good to pass on because of its legitimate connection to Ishikawa Jozan and Kyoto.
The story gives plenty of good reasons to spend some time at Myoshinji Temple in northwestern Kyoto, even if it is spelled Miyoshinji in the headline and article (curiously, the sidebar gets it right). Two things I appreciated most about the article were the link to the gorgeous photograph on Taizo-in's home page and information about the shukubo (overnight temple stay) at Shunkoin Temple. I did a little more digging on the Myoshinji website and discovered what looks like yet another shukubo on their grounds, the Hanazono Kaikan. Prior to this, I had only been aware of Ninnaji's shukubo in the area.
While I didn't participate in the activities listed in the article, I heartily concur with John Lander's assessment that it is a place worth visiting while in Kyoto. The garden at Taizo-in is one of the most beautiful that I saw in my time there. Knowing that Ishikawa Jozan lived and studied at Myoshinji from approximately 1615-1617 just added to the appeal for me. All of which reminds me to do some fact checking and prepare a Jozan-flavoured blog post with my own photos at some point down the line.
Closely Related Posts
Mr. Japanese Language Person: In which the difference between Miyoshinji and Myoshinji is explored with tongue firmly planted in cheek.
Myoshinji, Taizo-in, and Ishikawa Jozan: The title really says it all.
How did you book a room in Hanazono Kaikan? I would also like to stay there during the April 2013 trip.
ReplyDeleteHi Rochelle. If you click the "Hanazono Kaikan" link embedded in the post it will take you to the page on Myoshinji's website that offers English information about staying there. I haven't stayed at this particular shukubo, but in my experience, the easiest method was to have someone fluent in Japanese call on my behalf to book the stay. If that's not possible, if you call and ask for someone who speaks English, they will probably be able to bring someone to the phone fluent enough to make the arrangements. For people living in Japan, they usually expect you to mail the money in advance, but they might have a different system for travellers booking from overseas. Hope it works out for you, because it's a great temple complex and provides access to all the sights in Northern Kyoto.
ReplyDelete