Rodney Campbell's Blog

Nanzenji Temple (南禅寺), whose spacious grounds are located at the base of Kyoto’s forested Higashiyama mountains, is one of the most important Zen temples in all of Japan.

The history of Nanzenji dates back to the mid 13th century, when the Emperor Kameyama built his retirement villa at the temple’s present location and later converted it into a Zen temple.

Nanzenji

NIKON D750 + 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 85 mm, 1/100 sec at f/5.6, ISO 280

Visitors will first come across Nanzenji’s massive Sanmon entrance gate, which extends over the treetops. The gate was constructed in 1628 by the ruling Tokugawa clan for soldiers who died in the siege of Osaka Castle in 1615.

It was underneath the massive opening of the gate that I was getting this amazing glowing reflected light off the stones. I placed my daughters in the light with the arch of trees going into the distance. This allowed for some quick natural light portraits.

Note: These photographs (especially the wider shots) look much better when larger. To see larger versions in an inline overlay slideshow gallery viewer click any of the images.

Sanmon Gate

NIKON D750 + 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 28 mm, 1/30 sec at f/5.6, ISO 125

Further along you will come across a rather odd sight: a large brick aqueduct that passes through the temple grounds. Built during the Meiji Period (1868-1912), the aqueduct is part of a canal system that was constructed to carry water and goods between Kyoto and Lake Biwa in neighbouring Shiga Prefecture. Paths run alongside the canal that lead into the surrounding forest.

Nanzenji Aqueduct

NIKON D750 + 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 85 mm, 1/100 sec at f/8, ISO 640

We followed the Okazaki Canal through the forest to the Keage Incline. It was originally built during the early Meiji Period to connect the lower elevation waterways of Kyoto city to a higher elevation canal that runs all the way to Lake Biwa. The Keage Incline, which utilized a rail system to transport the small cargo boats up and down the slope, is lined by dozens of cherry trees, and the area has become an extremely popular sakura spot for the beautiful combination of the abandoned rails and cherry blossoms.

Keage Incline

NIKON D750 + 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 300 mm, 1/320 sec at f/5.6, ISO 720

The blossoms were almost gone by the day we were there. We headed to a nearby subway station and made our way back to town. Time for dinner and then home to bed.

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