Experience Authentic Zen at Shinshoji, Japan's Lesser-Known Treasure
The Most Photogenic Corner of Shinshoji Shinshoji Temple ⭐⭐( 神勝寺 ), a zen and garden Museum (禅と庭のミュージアム), is a place where you can experience what Zen is through various activities, such as sipping a bowl of tea, studying calligraphy, tasting food that sustains life, cleansing the dirt from body and mind, and strolling through the garden. The vast grounds are dotted with a 17th-century building relocated from Shiga Prefecture (滋賀県), a restored teahouse designed by Sen no Rikyu (千利休の茶室), and a shrine office created by architect and architectural historian Fujimori Terunobu (藤森照信); these grounds make extensive use of pine trees—a plant that symbolizes the region from the Sanyo Road to the Seto Inland Sea—and the garden is arranged to connect these buildings. The Hakuin Collection, one of the largest in Japan, is also a highlight of the museum, consisting of approximately 200 Zen paintings and calligraphy pieces by Zen master Hakuin (白隠禅師). These works w...