Shuon’an (Ikkyuji Temple)

This temple is popularly called Ikkyuji for the Zen priest Ikkyu Sojun, who revived it in 1456 and spent his final years here. A wooden statue of Ikkyu, believed to contain his own hair placed by a disciple after his death, is enshrined in the main hall. The temple holds ten Important Cultural Properties including the Main Hall and the Abbot's Hall, and its gardens are a National Important Place of Scenic Beauty. Born in 1394 and possibly of imperial lineage, Ikkyu was as well known for his sharp wit and unconventional life as for his Zen poetry, which infused traditional verse with Buddhist ideals.