{"id":1659,"date":"2010-11-11T21:58:32","date_gmt":"2010-11-11T12:58:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2010-11-11\/1659"},"modified":"2010-11-27T21:23:53","modified_gmt":"2010-11-27T12:23:53","slug":"a-first-visit-to-kyotos-koutou-in-temple","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2010-11-11\/1659","title":{"rendered":"A First Visit To Kyoto’s Koutou-in Temple"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
\nNOTE<\/b>: Images with an icon next to them have been artificially shrunk to better fit your screen; click the icon to restore them, in place, to their regular size.\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Voigtl\u00e4nder 125mm f\/2.5 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>320 sec, f<\/span>\/4, ISO 3200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nExiting the Koutou-in Temple<\/span>\nKyoto, Japan\n<\/div>\n\n

Two weeks ago, in “Around the Kyoto's Daitokuji\nTemple Complex<\/a>”, I mentioned<\/span> that St\u00e9phane had introduced me to a\ntemple<\/span> I really<\/span> liked (something he's done two more times since, the Kongourinji Temple<\/a> a\ncouple<\/span> of days ago, and the Yoshiminedera Temple<\/a>\nyesterday). The temple<\/span> two weeks ago was the Koutou-in Temple<\/a>,\none of the many in the Daitokuji Temple complex.<\/p>\n\n

The entrance from the road is simple but tasteful...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 24 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>400 sec, f<\/span>\/3.2, ISO 1250 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nOuter Entrance<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

The short path turns to the left, under the roof you can see at the left side of the frame.<\/p>\n

That's the main entrance gate, which is fairly small and simple by many standards...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 31 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>80 sec, f<\/span>\/3.2, ISO 1250 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nAt the Main Gate<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

Through the gate, the path turns again, this time to the right, and you're greeted by...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 24mm f\/1.4 @ 24 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>100 sec, f<\/span>\/6.3, ISO 1250 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n
Portrait-Mode Vertical Desktop-Background Versions<\/b>\n\n\n1050×<\/span>1680<\/a>  ·  1200×<\/span>1920<\/a>  ·  1600×<\/span>2560<\/a><\/small>     <\/span>\n<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

This long path in a small but densely wooded area, and is engulfed from\nabove by a canopy<\/span> of maples. It's jaw-dropping pretty, and will be even\nmore so when the leaves turn color.<\/p>\n\n

I tried a wide-angle shot to try to capture a sense<\/span> of the canopy of\nleaves, but the extreme dynamic range (very bright brights in the leaves,\nand very dark shadows at ground level) made it difficult. I don't<\/span> really\ncare for the result, but this highly-processed picture perhaps gives a sense<\/span>\nof things...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 24mm f\/1.4 @ 24 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>400 sec, f<\/span>\/13, ISO 1250 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nCanopy<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

There were so many ways to view the simple path and entrance, it was a bit<\/span> of a creative<\/span>-possibilities overload...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Voigtl\u00e4nder 125mm f\/2.5 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>400 sec, f<\/span>\/2.5, ISO 1250 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

The main building seems to resemble a house<\/span> more than a temple.<\/span> It has a<\/span> wide moss garden and a long<\/span> veranda from which you can enjoy it...<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 38 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>320 sec, f<\/span>\/5, ISO 4000 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nEnjoying the Moss Garden<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

Inside is very dark, with only minimal electric lighting added in modern times. One such light<\/span> was over the\ntokonoma<\/a>, in which a simple<\/span> scroll and flower arrangement are displayed.\nIt was very<\/i> dark, so I had<\/span> to really up the camera sensitivity to get this...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Voigtl\u00e4nder 125mm f\/2.5 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>200 sec, f<\/span>\/2.5, ISO 6400 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nSimple Tokonoma<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 38 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>60 sec, f<\/span>\/4.5, ISO 6400 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nPerimeter Hallway<\/span>\nVery<\/i> dark in the shadows, very<\/i> bright where open to the garden\n<\/div>\n\n

In addition to the moss garden, there's a more<\/span> traditional garden in the back...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 24 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>320 sec, f<\/span>\/5, ISO 3600 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nPart of the Traditional Garden<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 24 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>320 sec, f<\/span>\/4.5, ISO 1600 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nGarden and Tea House<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 32 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>320 sec, f<\/span>\/4.5, ISO 2800 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nGarden Gate<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 32 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>320 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 4500 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nLarge Wash Basin<\/span>\nbuilt from a stone plundered from the Imperial Palace in Korea, in the late 1500s\n( which bothers me; I'd think it should be returned )\n<\/div>\n\n

The temple was founded in 1601 by the great warrior Tadaoki Hosokawa,\nand behind the traditional garden is a grave<\/span> area for him and his wife, and\nfor 12 subsequent generations of his family.<\/p>\n\n

His wife, Gracia\nHosokawa<\/a>, was killed the year before Hosokawa created the temple,\nduring the politically turbulent era leading up to the establishment of the\nTokugawa Shogunate and its 250 years of ensuing peace. She's noted also for\nbeing the most prominent Japanese Catholic of the era. (The character of “Mariko” in James Clavel's Shogun<\/i> is based upon her.)<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 24 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>320 sec, f<\/span>\/6.3, ISO 6400 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nGrave of Tadaoki and Gratia Hosokawa<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 24 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>320 sec, f<\/span>\/5, ISO 5600 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nReturning from the Traditional Garden<\/span>\nwith the moss garden visible in the background through the open partitions\n<\/div>\n\n

I don't know the lady in kimono (who graces the lead photo as well), but\nshe was a lot<\/span> more photogenic than St\u00e9phane, so I was<\/span> happy to have her in\nmy shots.<\/p>\n\n

On the way out I noticed a few leaves had actually started turning...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 70 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>320 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 320 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nFirst Taste of Autumn<\/span>\nin Kyoto's late October\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Voigtl\u00e4nder 125mm f\/2.5 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>200 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 6400 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nExit Path and Maples<\/span>\nthis will be stunning in mid November\n<\/div>\n\n

I didn't post these photos at the time because I wanted<\/span> to surprise Fumie\nwith this discovery first, and today we could finally enjoy a date<\/span> there. The colors<\/span> indeed were more advanced, but still nowhere near peak. The same could<\/span> be said for the crowds... it was much more crowded than two weeks ago,\nbut still not too bad, but it will certainly be oppressively crowded next week. I'm sure I<\/span>'ll be drawn there to find out...<\/p>\n\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Two weeks ago, in \"Around the Kyoto's Daitokuji Temple Complex”, I mentioned that St\u00e9phane had introduced me to a temple I really liked (something he's done two more times since, the Kongourinji Temple a couple of days ago, and the Yoshiminedera Temple yesterday). The temple two weeks ago was the Koutou-in Temple, one of the many in the Daitokuji Temple complex.<\/p>

The entrance from the road is simple but tasteful...<\/p>

The short path turns to the left, under the roof you can see at the left side of the frame.<\/p>

That's the main entrance gate, which is fairly small and [...]","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,1,2,6,10,25],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1659"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1659"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1659\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1659"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1659"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1659"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}