Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Konchi-in shrine in Kyoto

Konchi-in shrine is  near Nanzen-ji temple made by Iemitsu Tokunaga (August 12, 1604 – June 8, 1651), the third shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty. The shrine also has a big garden.
Tokugawa's shrine is known as "Tosho-in" in which  Tokugawa Ieyasu, first shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty, is enshrined with the name Tōshō Daigongen.

There's”Kame-jima" and "Tsuru-jima" on both hands of the garden. Kame(Tortoise) and tsuru(crane) are known as happy animals in Japan. So a lot of Japanese style garden has 2 islands shaped like these 2 animals.
Untitled 

Kame jima on left hands. Tree on the rock looks die but still alive. It has lived for over 400 years.
金地院 亀島 

Tsuru-jima on right hand. Square rock means crane's neck.
金地院 鶴島 

On the way leading to Tosho-gu, There's a garden with pond. I don't know you can see it, there's small waterfall beyond trees. I think it's designed to look larger than in reality.
金地院 庭園

 The road leading to Tosho-gu.
金地院 東照宮への道

 Tosho-gu.
金地院 東照宮