Name: Hônenin  Photo: Lynn Perry   Alternate Name: Honenin  Address: Sakyo-ku, Shishigatani, Goshonodan-cho  Mailing Address:   City: Kyoto-shi  State: Kyoto-hu  Postal Code:   Country: JAPAN  Latitude/Longitude: lat=35.11667; long=135.8 Find Gardens Nearby Phone:   Fax:   E-Mail:   Contact:   Designer(s):   Contruction Date: early Edo period  Public/Private: PUBLIC  Hours: 9am - 5pm  Admission:   Added to JGarden: 1/1/1996  Last Updated: 4/3/2005  Sources:   JGarden Description: This temple is known for its beautiful raised gate, framed by trees and descending into the temple toward two parallel, rectangular mounds of sand that flank the path. Interestingly, the patterns in the sand are changed by the monks every few weeks. This temple was founded by the Jodo sect under the patronage of the Tokugawa shoguns. Several rooms were tranferred from Hideyoshi's Fushimi castle. Along with Ginkakuji, Anrakuji and Nanzenji, Honenin is a memorable stop along the so-called 'Philosopher's Path' or tetsugaku no michi.

With the south wind a gentle goddess came. She soaked the bronze, she soaked the fountain, She soaked the swallow's belly and its feathers of gold. She hugged the tide, lapped the sand, drank the fish. Secretly she soaked the temple, the bath-house, the theatre, The confusion of her platinum lyre --   the tongue of the goddess -- secretly. Soaked my tongue.   Nishiwaki Junzaburô   trans. by Bownas and Thwaite   20th century