HIGASHI HONGAN-JI
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Located about ten minutes walk north of Kyoto Central Station, it is one of the largest temples in Japan. It is a branch of Hongan-ji born from the split of the latter in 1602 and forms, with Nishi-Honganji, the seat of the Pure Land Buddhist sect. This sect goes back to the monk Shinran (1173-1263) for whom salvation came from the repetition of "Namu Amida butsu" (I worship the Buddha), and whose teachings became very popular in Japan. The proportions of the temple are exceptional. Most of the buildings were rebuilt in the late 19th and early 20th centuries after a fire destroyed the temple in 1823. An exhibition inside explains the construction process of the main monument, the Goei-dō.
The Goei-dō, at the heart of the complex, is the largest wooden building in Kyoto, and one of the largest in the world. It is 76 meters long, 58 meters wide and 38 meters high. Under the massive roof supported by 90 pillars, nearly a thousand tatami mats invite meditation, under the gaze of the founder Shinran, to whom the pavilion is dedicated. The present building dates from the end of the 19th century.
To the left of the Goei-dō, the Amida pavilion is slightly smaller. It honors the Amida Buddha, who is enthroned on the main altar.
The gates of the temple are also imposing, especially the Goei-dō gate, which rises in two stories to a height of 28 meters. Its construction dates back to 1911 and its renovation, which was completed in 2015, has restored its majesty.
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