
A little north of Kinkakuji Temple (Golden Pavillion), in the Takagamine district, can be found a beautiful temple full of history called Genko-an.

While it is not that cold yet, I could feel a cool breeze under the clear sky.When I stood in front of the gate, beautiful autumn flowers were giving off a nice smell.While going up to the Main Hall, I was faced with the famous round "Window of enlightenment" (Satori no mado) and the square-shaped "Delusive window" (Mayoi no mado).


It is said that the round "Window of enlightenment" symbolizes the universe, while the square-shaped "Delusive window" symbolizes the lifetime of human beings and the hardships of dying from old age.
From the window, you can see the beautiful garden with Kitayama in the back.
That view must be wonderful in autumn with all the red leaves.
Another famous part of this temple is the Main Hall's "Bloody ceiling" (Chitenjo).
It remains from a battle that occured in Fushimi Castle 400 years ago.


Yumeyakata Information Center Staff Noguchi