Yogen-in Temple

Overview

Yogen-in Temple was founded in 1594 (Bunroku 3) by Yododono, a concubine of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, to commemorate the 21st anniversary of the deaths of her father, Asai Nagamasa, his father, and his uncle. Named after Asai Nagamasa's posthumous title, Yogen-in served as the family temple of the Asai clan and later also as a mortuary temple for the Tokugawa clan. Originally a Tendai Buddhist temple, it converted to the Jodo Shinshu Yugein-ha sect in 1945 (Showa 20) after World War II. The temple's most famous feature is the "Blood Ceiling," made from floorboards stained with the blood of samurai who committed seppuku during the fall of Fushimi Castle. These boards are said to retain vivid traces of the blood from the over 2,000 soldiers, including Torii Mototada, who defended Fushimi Castle, a battle considered a prelude to the Battle of Sekigahara, before ultimately taking their own lives. The fusuma (sliding doors) and sugito (paneled doors) paintings in the main hall are Important Cultural Properties attributed to Tawaraya Sotatsu and are said to have been created to appease the spirits of the soldiers who perished at Fushimi Castle. The striking designs featuring elephants, Chinese lions, and kirin (mythical creatures) on the sugito are known for their unconventional style. The temple garden is a pond-style strolling garden said to have been designed by Kobori Enshu, which features Amida-ga-mine peak of the Higashiyama mountain range as a borrowed landscape, offering beautiful seasonal views. Yogen-in also boasts an 'Uguisu-bari roka' (nightingale floor), a corridor said to have been built by Sa Zaemon, a renowned carpenter and sculptor of the early Edo period. Yogen-in offers a rich experience of history, art, and nature. Be sure to visit!