Kyoto

Anrakuju-in Temple in Fushimi

Burial place of two emperors and famous battle site

Cathy Cawood Aug 07, 2014 - 1 min read

<p>A black and white cat sunning itself beside the offering box</p>

<p> A straight path of paving stones  leads to the Temple</p>

<p>Looking along the wooden verandah of the temple</p>

<p>A small dragon presides over the water basin for purifying hands</p>

<p>There are plum blossoms at Anraku-ju in March</p>

<p>I love the sweet, spicy fragrance of plum blossom</p>

<p>This two tier pagoda is the grave of the long dead Emperor Tenno</p>

Anrakuju-in was built in 1137, and was a villa for retired emperors, then later dedicated as a Buddhist temple. It looked so peaceful in the spring sunshine, it was hard to imagine that in 1868 it was the headquarters for a fierce battle in which supporters of Emperor Meiji defeated Shogunate forces. Jonangu is nearby, so it is easy to visit both at the same time.

Cathy Cawood @cathy.cawood

I came to Japan in 2003 to teach English. I lived in Shiga prefecture for 1 year, and it still holds a special place in my heart. I lived in Kyoto for 9 years, then moved to Machida, Tokyo in 2014 after meeting my Japanese partner. I love to take photos, and my Japan in Pictures Facebook page ha...