Honpoji Temple 本法寺

Most of Honpoji’s artistic treasures are the work of Hasegawa Tohaku (1539–1610), a painter considered one of the most prominent masters of the late sixteenth century, a period of great artistic flourishing in Japan. Hasegawa created most of his highest-regarded works in Kyoto, where his primary residence was at Honpoji.

Perhaps the most eye-catching Hasegawa painting at Honpoji is his interpretation of the death of the historical Buddha, a 10-by-6-meter scroll in which the subject is depicted lying down peacefully, surrounded by a crowd of both human and animal mourners. The work is said to reflect the personal hardships of the 61-year-old painter, who had been deeply affected by the death of his son six years prior. A reproduction of the painting can be viewed at the temple year-round, while the original is displayed annually from mid-March to mid-April.

Honpoji is also associated with the artist Hon’ami Koetsu (1558–1637), whose family were devout Nichiren Buddhists and patrons of the temple. Koetsu designed Honpoji’s inner Tomoe garden, which centers on a pond with lotus flowers—a reference to the Lotus Sutra, on which the teachings of the Nichiren school are based.