Kanchi-in 観智院

Official explanation

Kanchi-in is a branch temple of Tōji and has been a place of religious scholarship since the fourteenth century. The temple was originally built by Gōhō (1306-1362), a Shingon Buddhist monk and scholar. The current building was built in 1605 after Gōhō’s temple was destroyed in an earthquake. It is famous for its large collection of Buddhist writings and for two paintings by the renowned swordsman and artist Miyamoto Musashi (1584–1645).

The two paintings by Musashi depict a bamboo grove and eagles preparing to strike their prey. The swordsman, one of the most popular figures in Japanese historical drama and literature, is said to have stayed at Kanchi-in after winning a duel.

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Kanchi-in’s storehouse contains the largest collection of esoteric Buddhist texts in Japan. The temple’s guest hall (kyakuden) is designated as a National Treasure.

出典: 地域観光資源の多言語解説文データベース（観光庁） — www.mlit.go.jp/tagengo-db. この英語解説文は観光庁の地域観光資源の多言語解説整備支援事業で作成しました。
Source: Japan Tourism Agency, Multilingual Explanation Database. This English text was produced by the Japan Tourism Agency's multilingual explanation project and is shown unedited. Opening hours and services may have changed since it was written.