Temple Sennyu-ji Temple A VR experience devised in the Edo period?!Japan’s largest Nirvana painting will be on display at the Buddhist temple from March 11th to 16th.

[Temple Sennyu-ji Temple] A VR experience devised in the Edo period?!Japan’s largest Nirvana painting will be on display at the Buddha Hall from March 11th to 16th.
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Temple Sennyuji Press release: February 27, 2025 A VR experience devised in the Edo period?! Japan’s largest Nirvana painting will be on display at the Buddha Hall from March 11th to 16th. Notice of the release of the Great Nirvana from Sennyu-ji Temple, the family temple of the Imperial Family
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/150876/3/150876-3-b504d7e1da6275c56b1a8f39c22828c3-2592×1944.jpg Holding up the Great Nirvana image at Sennyuji Temple At Sennyuji Temple (Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto City), the Nirvana Ceremony, a memorial service held on the day of Buddha’s death, is held every year from March 14th to 16th at the Sennyuji Temple Butsuden. “Nirvana” is a depiction of Buddha’s peaceful departure under the Sala tree, surrounded by his followers, based on the scriptures. The Great Nirvana painting at Sennyu-ji Temple is 15.1 meters long x 7.3 meters wide and weighs 150 kg, making it one of the largest in Japan. It was dedicated by Myoyokokan (1653-1717), a Jodo sect monk who painted many excellent paintings during the mid-Edo period. High inside the hall, there is a huge statue of Nirvana held up in the shape of a U-shape, looking up to the sky. The moon and clouds overhead, the animals lying below, the Buddha lying in front of us, and the surrounding
bodhisattvas, devas, disciples, and mourning people are all painted in the same size as us, and as a result, we become one with this painting, and are enveloped in the sense of being present at Nirvana. At Sennyu-ji Temple, this Great Nirvana painting will be exhibited at the Buddha Hall from March 11th (Tuesday) ahead of the Nirvana Ceremony.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/150876/3/150876-3-67fc1f586764c289e8899a4a47f91ef7-2493×2700.jpg Great Nirvana at Sennyu-ji Temple hanging in a U-shape
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/150876/3/150876-3-d592d65cfe0cb6ec74164defa6619873-1500×1192.jpg Painted by Meiyo Kowan, a Jodo sect monk in the middle of the Edo period The Meiyo ancient bowl containing the image of Nirvana was a person who had a strong faith in Buddha and also had a deep respect for Buddha’s sacred relic, the Buddha’s tusk sariari, which was brought from the Song Dynasty in 1228 by Master Tankhai, a disciple of Master Shuncho, the founder of Sennyu-ji Temple. On the back of the Nirvana painting, there is an endorsement from an elder at Sennyuji Temple that states, “At the Jōraku-kai of Sennyu-ji Temple, we enshrine Buddha’s tusk shari along with the Great Nirvana in the Buddha Hall, and that by gathering at the Jōraku-kai and worshiping these, whether monks or laypeople, we hope that people will form a relationship with the Buddha.” This is an endorsement by an elder of Sennyu-ji Temple, informing us that the old bowl was donated. In response to this wish, Sennyuji Temple will hold a special memorial service (Joraku-e) on March 15th (Saturday) to enshrine the Buddha’s Tooth Shari. During the open period, from the 11th to the 16th, we will be giving out limited edition Nirvana-kai goshuin stamps, and from the 14th to the 16th, we will be giving away flowers in limited quantities. This is a once-a-year exhibition of the Nirvana painting, which is said to be the largest in Japan. Please take this opportunity to visit. Public exhibition period of Nirvana: March 11th (Tuesday) to March 16th (Sunday), 2025 Location: Buddha hall Memorial service (Jorakukai): March 15th (Saturday) 10:00-12:00, 13:00-14:30 *A special memorial service will be held with the Buddha’s tooth shari enshrined in the Buddhist shrine. You can attend in the hall. *Admission fee to the temple (500 yen for adults, 300 yen for elementary and junior high school students) is required. *Reception for viewing is from 9:00 to 16:30. Tsukiwa Misho style flower offering exhibition March 9th to 15th Great Nirvana Illustration/Morning Porridge March 14th and 16th, 8:00am~ *Seats are limited. Please apply from the homepage.
https://mitera.org/archives/news/202503nehanzu Nirvana soba sales March 14th to 16th
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/150876/3/150876-3-d33a79119011a24ce0cfeebd83b03d0d-2000×1333.jpg Nirvanakai goshuin 3/11-16
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/150876/3/150876-3-7ce94696441b0999eb6988a83984430b-2000×1333.jpg Flower offering 3/14-16
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/150876/3/150876-3-5d41a0493bb3790c168c83cda61d4552-1909×2700.jpg Nirvana public poster What is the handsome man’s name? Illustrated explanation of Great Nirvana and Osamu Yao’s morning porridge This year’s poster for Sennyu-ji Temple’s Nirvana Picture depicts a question about the people who appear in the picture. The clue is that he is a disciple of Buddha who is said to be a handsome man with beautiful eyebrows. In order to get a closer look at the Nirvana drawing, we will be holding an illustrated explanation of the Great Nirvana drawing only on the mornings of March 14th and 16th. We will allow you to enter areas that are normally not accessible and explain what the Nirvana painting looks like. After visiting the shrine, you can sit in a warm room and enjoy morning porridge made by Yaoji, a vegetarian cuisine purveyor to Sennyu-ji Temple. This is a rare opportunity to see up close the largest Nirvana statue in Japan, which is hung in the quiet Buddha hall of Sennyu-ji Temple before the gates open. Advance reservations required. Please see the Sennyu-ji Temple homepage for more details.
https://mitera.org/archives/news/202503nehanzu [Head temple Sennyu-ji Temple] ​ URL: https://mitera.org Access: About 10 minutes by taxi from JR/Kintetsu/Subway Kyoto Station 20 minutes walk from “Tofukuji Station” on JR Nara Line/Keihan Railway Approximately 10 minutes by car from Hanshin Expressway “Kamogawa West Exit” Address: 27 Sennyuji Yamauchi-cho, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto 605-0977 TEL: 075-561-1551 Visiting hours: 9:00 to 17:00 *Admission reception closes 30 minutes before gate closing Admission to the temple: 500 yen (300 yen for elementary and junior high school students) Buddha hall, Yang Guifei Kannon Hall, treasure house (Shinshoden), etc. Special admission: 500 yen (Free for elementary school students and under when accompanied by a guardian) Gozasho/Gozasho Garden *Due to events, some facilities may not be available for viewing on certain days or times.