National treasures: “Omote-Shoin (a main drawing room)” and “Daigo-no-Hanami (blossoms viewing at Daigo)” Enjoying “Japan” and Cherry blossoms at Daigo-ji temple in Kyoto

Daigo-ji temple was built in 874.
It is a historical temple having more than 1,100 years of history
and registered in a world heritage as
“Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto”.

About 1,000 cherry blossoms at the temple bloom for 3 weeks, and
it’s known as the sight for cherry blossoms.

Speaking of cherry blossoms and Daigo-ji temple, it’s famous that Hideyoshi Toyotomi did
“Daigo-no-Hanami”
in 1598.

It was a grand event invited 1,300 people.
Valuable buildings of Daigo-ji temple were burnt down by the fires of war,
but it restored and became the current looks by this blossoms viewing.

Even now, Daigo-ji Temple holds
“Toyotaiko Hanami Gyoretsu (Hideyoshi Toyotomi’s procession to view blossoms)”
on the second Sunday of April each year (on April 9th this year), based on this event.

There is Daigoji-temple
“Sanpoin”
designed its most buildings to important cultural properties or national treasures.
Beautiful tatamis and Fusumae (the sliding screen paintings) are good to see,
but you should see a national treasure
“Omote-Shoin”
that Hideyoshi designed it faced on the garden for
“Daigo-no-Hanami”.

There are lower, middle, and upper rooms in Omote-Shoin.
The gedan (lower) room is known as
“Agebutai-no-ma”
which can be used as a Noh stage when the tatamis are removed.

The middle and upper rooms are one-step higher than the lower room to be able to see the Noh and Kyogen performances from a higher position.

There is an open space in the inner part of Sanpoin, and shidarezakura (weeping cherry)
and someiyoshino (prunus yedoensis) bloom surrounding there.

You can enjoy viewing blossoms in atmosphere to feel
“Japan”
like on a long chair covered with a red cloth, stood sunshade, and so on.

Let’s enjoy
“Hana-no-Daigo”
during cherry blossoms’ season.

Tags:tatami Kyoto Japan Daigoji Hanami nationaltreasures cherryblossoms