Gokusui No En
Photo By Vincent Cummings

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Photographer: Vincent Cummings

Photo Details

• Title: Gokusui No En
• State/Province/Region (required):
• Country (required): Japan
• Nearest Town: Hiraizumi
• Description: Participants recreate an elegant amusement from bygone days. Sitting by the feeder stream for the temple garden's pond, they compose poetry before a floating cup of sake reaches them. Men wear court or hunting robes, women are attired in brocaded gowns or layered kimonos. Following the opening and announcement of the prescribed topic, the Young Woman (Jakujo) movement of the Ennen no Mai longevity rites is performed. A sake cup is floated downthe feeder stream as participants compose and write their poems, and take a well-deserved sip from the cup as it reaches them. Finally, the master of ceremonies reads the poems aloud, and this graceful event comes to a close.
• Notes: Motsuji was founded by Ennin (Jikaku Daishi; see above), though most of its structures were not built until the twelfth century, when the second and third Hiraizumi Fujiwara lords, Motohira and Hidehira, brought the temple to prominence. At its peak, Motsuji was a complex of 40 halls and stupas, and 500 monks' quarters. The temple is said to have exceeded even Chusonji Temple in size and magnificence. However, after the fall of the Fujiwara at the close of the twelfth century, several terrible fires reduced every last one of those buildings to ashes. The only original feature remaining is the Pure Land Garden centered on Oizumi ga Ike Pond. This outstanding twelfth century garden specimen was almost completely preserved and has been designated a Special Historic Site and Special Place of Scenic Beauty by the Japanese government.
• Best Season: Summer
• Gear: Olympus FE 360

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