The maple valley
Red in autumn.
Fumihiko Ueno — CC BY 3.0 · KimonBerlin — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Saigen Jiro — CC0 · Hyppolyte de Saint-Rambert — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Hyppolyte de Saint-Rambert — CC BY-SA 4.0
Tōfuku-ji is a Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto's Higashiyama ward, about 4 km south-east of the city centre in a straight line, and one of Kyoto's five great Zen temples. The imperial chancellor Kujō Michiie founded it in 1236 and appointed the monk Enni, who had studied Zen in China, as its first priest. Its name joins the names of Tōdai-ji and Kōfuku-ji in Nara. It burned and was rebuilt in the 14th century to its original plans. The temple is famous for its valley full of maples crossed by covered wooden bridges, which in late autumn turns into a sea of red and orange. Its grounds also hold huge wooden gates and halls and Zen rock gardens. It is extremely busy in the November leaf season, so arrive at opening time. It is near Tofukuji Station and a short hop from Fushimi Inari Shrine, so the two pair easily.
Red in autumn.
Wooden.
Rock and moss.
Higashiyama ward, Kyoto, Japan
Late November, at opening.
Fushimi Inari Shrine.
