By JIRO OMURA/ Staff Writer
August 24, 2020 at 08:00 JST
Statues of Buddha and the Sixteen Arhats are situated inside the Sanmon Gate of Tofukuji temple in Kyoto's Higashiyama Ward. (Jiro Omura)
KYOTO--Tofukuji temple here is allowing a small number of tour groups to enter previously off-limits areas, including those containing hidden national treasures.
The drastic drop in inbound tourists to the temple, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, prompted the move.
"We'd like visitors who are feeling stressed because of the new coronavirus to look around the grounds and comfort their hearts," said Kigen Takeuchi, the temple's head of general affairs.
Tours will be limited to five groups per day and accompanied by a temple staff member.
The temple is the headquarters of the Tofukuji school of the Rinzai sect of Buddhism in the Honmachi district of Higashiyama Ward. It is known for its Sanmon Gate and Ryogin-an building's "hojo" priest's quarters, both of which are designated as national treasures by the central government.
The current Sanmon Gate was completed in 1425 during the Muromachi Period (1336-1573). It was dismantled for a full-scale renovation conducted from 1969 to 1978.
The gate, which stands more than 22 meters tall, offers a panoramic view of Kyoto. Tour participants can also get a close look at the statues of Buddha and the Sixteen Arhats inside.
Built in the early Muromachi Period, Ryogin-an's hojo quarters is touted as a masterpiece that blends the architectural styles of "shinden-zukuri" for aristocratic mansions and "shoin-zukuri" for residences.
The temple also boasts the "karesansui" (literally "dry mountain water") gardens created by Mirei Shigemori, which include the western "Ryu no Niwa" (dragon's garden) and the eastern "Furi no Niwa" (garden of inseparability).
Tours are available for groups of five visitors or above until Sept. 30. Admission is 5,000 yen ($47) per person. Each visitor will receive a special "goshuin" seal stamp as a souvenir.
For inquiries, visit the temple's official website at (http://www.tofukuji.jp/english/index.html).
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