Higashi Honganji

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“Ohigashi-san” (Respected East) is a local nickname for Higashi Honganji, the “Eastern Monastery of the Original Vow”. It’s a beautiful Buddhist temple in Kyoto, made of wood. This tag connects pictures from both of my visits there.

Ohigashi-san is one of a pair with Onishi-san, or Nishi Honganji, where I’ve only been once. Both temples are partly open to the public and function as centres of the two main sects Jōdo Shinshū, a Medieval branch of Buddhism traditionally popular with the masses in Japan. Both temples each contain two great halls. One hall in each temple honours the founder of Jōdo Shinshū and is called the Goeidō, or Founder’s Hall; that’s the externally bigger and more central of the two. The other great hall in each temple, the Amidadō, honours the Buddha.