One of the most accessible of Kyoto's blood ceilings is located at Yogen-in Temple, walking distance from Kyoto Station. When I visited the main hall was unfortunately closed for repairs, so the best I can offer is this exterior shot. (Samuel Hawley photo, 2007)
Genkoan Temple in northern Kyoto. It is easy to get to and offers one of the best blood ceilings around. (Samuel Hawley photo, 2002)
Blood ceiling at Genkoan Temple. (Samuel Hawley photo, 2002)
A footprint on the Genkoan blood ceiling, one of the more identifiable stains that cover the boards. (Samuel Hawley photo, 2002)
A bus ride into the northwestern suburbs of Kyoto followed by a hike into the hills takes you to Shoden-ji Temple. (Samuel Hawley photo, 2007)
Shoden-ji's blood ceiling is situated above a veranda overlooking a Zen garden. (Samuel Hawley photo, 2007)
The 400-year-old boards of Shoden-ji's blood ceiling are covered with dark stains. (Samuel Hawley photo, 2007)
A close-up of some of the boards in Shoden-ji's blood ceiling. (Samuel Hawley photo, 2007)
An hour north of Kyoto by bus, in the rural setting of Ohara, is Hosen-in Temple, site of yet another blood ceiling. A guide is avaiable to point out the more significant stains. (Samuel Hawley photo, 2007)
Hosen-in's blood ceiling is set in an open-air hall overlooking a garden. (Samuel Hawley photo, 2007)
Hosen-in's blood ceiling. (Samuel Hawley photo, 2007)
Detail of Hosen-in's blood ceiling. The boards here are a warm honey shade, the stains more subtle than those at Genkoan. (Samuel Hawley photo, 2007)
Japanese visitors to Hosen-in usually sit in quiet complemplation of the garden, sipping the green tea that comes with the price of admission. Foreigners may prefer to bolt their tea and spend their time writhing about on their backs, taking photos. I did, anyway. (Samuel Hawley photo, 2007)
The garden view from Hosen-in Temple's main hall. The sprawling pine tree on the left is 700 years old. (Samuel Hawley photo, 2007)
c47843 on May 4th, 2018 at 22:25 UTC »
Wonder if DNA on the stains can identify who the descendants today are.
Gemmabeta on May 4th, 2018 at 22:06 UTC »
the boards in the ceiling of Shodenji’s walkway were once the floor of the main hall of Fushimi Momoyama Castle in southern Kyoto. On these boards on Aug. 1, 1600, over 380 samurai warriors committed seppuku.
The tale begins on the deathbed of warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1598. Having waged war incessantly during his 16-year reign, he was determined that his family stay in power. He made each of the most powerful leaders of the country swear allegiance to his 5-year-old son, Hideyori, in a five-man regency.
The most powerful of these five was Tokugawa Ieyasu, the soon-to-be founder of the Edo shogunate. It was an uneasy regency. The second-strongest leader, Ishida Mitsunari, was based at Osaka Castle, while Ieyasu was encamped at Fushimi Castle.
Strongly suspicious of Ieyasu’s designs on absolute power, Mitsunari fomented rebellion among leaders in the Aizu region of Tohoku. Setting out for Tohoku to quell the rebellion, Ieyasu left a garrison of 1,800 samurai under the command of Torii Mototada to literally hold the fort.
On July 16, Mitsunari set out with an army of 40,000. Arriving at Fushimi Castle, he demanded that Mototada abandon the fortress. Mototada, of course, refused, despite being greatly outnumbered.
The fighting raged nonstop for nearly two weeks until July 30, when one of Mitsunari’s informers, purportedly a ninja, directed other ninja to set fire to the castle. As the flames began to consume the outer buildings, the 380 or so remaining troops under Mototada gathered in the keep. What happened next is not clear, but according to Ryuyu Takamine, chief priest at Genkoan in Kyoto, Saiga Magoichi, the captain of Mitsunari’s riflemen, managed to penetrate the keep.
Magoichi came rushing into the keep where he encountered Mototada and the remaining troops. Mototada demanded to know who he was and Magoichi identified himself as a captain of the attacking forces. Mototada then chided Magoichi to chop off his head as a trophy, which Magoichi proceeded to do in full view of the other samurai. Mototada’s troops, preferring to die than be captured, followed their leader in death.
Committing seppuku to the last man.
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2001/06/26/events/kyoto-ceilings-bear-footprints-of-1600-samurai-mass-suicide/
feed_mememes on May 4th, 2018 at 22:01 UTC »
Damn wish i knew about this, was just in japan last month. I wanted to check out the hiroshima nuclear shadows but they had eroded already