One of the best autumn foliage I saw this year was that of Enrian (厭離庵) temple in the Sagano (嵯峨野) district. The color of the leaves was nothing but flaming red.
Fujiwara no Teika (藤原定家), a famous poet in the Heian (平安) era, built the Ogura villa (小倉山荘) in this land to compile the Ogura Hyakuni Issyu (小倉百人一首, Anthology of One Hundred Tanka by One Hundred Poets), and a part of the premises of the villa became Enrian Temple.
Once the temple was being deserted until its restoration by the descendant of Teika. Later the name of "Enrian" was given by the emperor at the time, and the temple became a branch of Tenryu-ji Temple (天龍寺) school of the Rinzai sect (臨済宗). In the premises, the tea ceremony house called Shigure-tei (しぐれ亭) and the grave of Teika, both with architectural and historical importance, are worth to see.
The temple is open to the public only for limited period in autumn. Visiting this temple in YUMEYAKATA Kimono (着物) to see the garden covered with leaves of flaming red, will be ultimately luxurious.
Akane Kibune
Kyoto Expert Certification 1st Grade
Comments