Eihei-ji Temple

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About Eihei-ji Temple

Eihei-ji was founded in 1244 by the monk Dogen, who brought from China the Zen practice that originated the Soto school, one of the major branches of Japanese Buddhism. Dogen chose a mountain valley, far from Kyoto, for a life of meditation and discipline. Today the temple, together with Soji-ji in Yokohama, is one of the two main temples of the school and receives monks in training, who spend years there following a routine of meditation, work, and study.

The complex has about 70 buildings on a hillside, among cedar trees hundreds of years old. The seven main halls — such as the Buddha hall, the meditation hall, the Dharma hall, the kitchen, and the bath — are connected by covered wooden corridors and stairways, polished daily by the monks. The Sanmon gate, dating from 1749, is the oldest structure.

Visits follow a defined route, in socks, along the corridors. In Sanshokaku, the reception hall, the ceiling has 230 painted panels with flowers and birds. Visitors see the monks cleaning, attending ceremonies, and moving silently; they should speak quietly, avoid photographing monks up close, and respect closed areas. The temple also offers meditation sessions for visitors and practice-stay programs, by reservation.

The street leading to the temple, with shops and restaurants, descends to the river, and a path through the cedars leads to the gate. In autumn the valley’s leaves usually turn red in November; in winter snow covers the roofs, creating one of the temple’s most famous images.