Japan Navigator

It is spring, so many Kyoto temples that are usually closed will open their doors - some only briefly. Here is a selection:

• Anrakuji: weekends from April 7 to June 2 as well as the last part of Golden Week (May 3-6). Anrakuji is named after a disciple of Honen, who was executed with his colleague Juren after convincing two consorts of Emperor Gotoba to become nuns. The temple has a great azalea garden; this weekend the cherrytrees should be in bloom.
• Reikanji: March 31-April 8. Nunnery set up in the 17th c. by Emperor Gomizunoo for his daughter. Has a great collection of traditional dolls. A rare chance to visit this usually hidden world.
• Main Hall of Honenin: April 1-April 7. Honenin (read more about this temple in my article on Honenin) normally has part of its garden open, but the inside of the main hall can only be glimpsed from the veranda. This opening is a good chance to see its Amida statue and view the garden of the main hall, which is also usually off-limits.

These three temples are located close together in the beautiful Higashiyama area, near the Tetsugaku no Michi (Philisopher’s Path), which is also good for cherryblossom viewing.

It is also the time that temple museums have their spring exhibitions:

• The Homotsukan Museum of Toji with its esoteric art from March 20 to May 25 (in the same period its subtemple Kanchiin is open with its great set of five Kokuzo Bosatsu statues) - read more about Toji in my 108 Temple Pilgrimage article; read more about this exhibition in this Kyoto Shinbun article;
• Magnificent esoteric statues and art in the Reihokan Museum of Daigoji (read more about this temple in my Daigoji article) from March 24 to May 6. Daigoji’s temple museum houses a superb collection of esoteric art works, painting, sculpture and ritual implements. The museum consists of the traditional Reihokan, dating from 1935, and a modern concrete Annex, built to house and protect a National Treasure Yakushi statue.
• The Reihokan Museum of Ninnaji (another great cherryblossom spot) with traditional art and Buddhist statues from April 1 to May 27;
• And the Reihokan Museum of Seiryoji from April 1 to May 31. The Main Hall of this temple houses a great Shaka statue (considered as a “living Buddha”), in the temple museum you can see a late-Heian period Amida Triad and statues of the Ten Disciples.

Seiryoji is at the same time a good choice for the Buddha’s Birthday Festival on April 8 (from 10:00). To make the choice more difficult: that same Sunday, Daigoji stages the annual Hanami Parade, as a reminder of Hideyoshi’s sakura viewing in 1598.

And to finish off: the Kyoto Imperial Palace is open for the general public (without advance permission as usual) from April 4 to 8. Also the Gyoen Park around the palace is a great spot for cherryblossom viewing!