In 1235, the monk Enni (1202–1280) travelled to China to study under Wuzhun Shifan (1177–1249), a prominent figure in the world of Song-dynasty Zen (Ch: Chan) Buddhism. After returning to Japan, Enni founded Jōten-ji Temple in Hakata, Fukuoka. He later gained favor with the highest authority at the imperial court, Kujō Michiie, and was entrusted with the task of establishing the massive Tōfuku-ji Temple complex in Kyoto.
Despite centuries of natural disasters and conflict, Tōfuku-ji has preserved many treasures associated with Wuzhun and Enni, including ancient documents, calligraphy, books, and portraits. While exemplifying the history of Sino-Japanese relations and the development of Zen Buddhism in thirteenth-century East Asia, this vast collection reveals why Tōfuku-ji still remains one of the largest and most important medieval Zen temples in Japan.

The successors of Enni (later known as Shōichi Kokushi) came to be known as the “Shōichi denomination.” Like Enni, these priests travelled to China and returned with cultural artifacts, new knowledge, and a greater understanding of Chinese Zen teachings. In addition to Zen, Enni and other early members of the Shōichi denomination were also well-versed in the teachings of Esoteric Buddhism.
Many masterpieces of Zen art associated with these monks still survive at Tōfuku-ji. These include calligraphy, portraits, and sculptures, along with the clerical robes and personal belongings of temple abbots. With its cosmopolitan flavor and deep devotion to learning, the Shōichi denomination produced many eminent priests and exerted a profound influence on the Zen Buddhist community.

Important Cultural Property
Chikotsu Daie
Inscription by Chikotsu Daie
Ganjō-ji Temple, Kyoto
[on view: October 7–November 5, 2023]

Calligraphy, “Tiger” in One Large Character
By Kokan Shiren
Reigen-in Temple, Kyoto

Inseparable from the history of Tōfuku-ji is the name of the Buddhist painter Kissan Minchō (1352–1431). Up until the Edo period, Minchō was revered as one of Japan’s most famous artists. Inspired by Chinese Buddhist paintings, Minchō developed a distinctive style that fused precise ink brushwork with vivid coloration. The monumental scale of his works was well suited to the grandeur of Tōfuku-ji’s precincts. This chapter introduces treasured masterpieces by Minchō that have been passed down within Tōfuku-ji and its subtemples for centuries.

Important Cultural Property
Bodhidharma, Liu Haichen, and Li Tieguai
By Kissan Minchō
Tōfuku-ji Temple, Kyoto
[on view: November 7–December 3, 2023]

Studying Zen in China left a lasting impact on the monk Enni. Even after returning to Japan with a vast assemblage of Buddhist texts and artifacts, he maintained firm ties with China’s Buddhist community. This network of overseas exchange was inherited by the Shōichi denomination. Enni’s successors were actively engaged in diplomacy and trade, thereby accumulating various items that fostered the development of Zen culture in Japan. In this way, Tōfuku-ji played a significant role in Japanese cultural history through its development as hub for international relations.

National Treasure
Imperial Readings of the Taiping Era (Ch: Taiping yulan)
Tōfuku-ji Temple, Kyoto

The sheer size of Tōfuku-ji is epitomized by its massive Buddhist sculptures and sprawling temple complex, whose structures tower over Kyoto’s Eastern Hills. When Tōfuku-ji was first built, it featured a Song-style seven-hall layout and housed a group of monumental statues, including a massive seated Shakyamuni Buddha as its principal image of worship, for which it was known as the “New Great Buddha Temple” (Shin Daibutsu-ji). Despite numerous disasters throughout its history, Tōfuku-ji has continued to maintain and reconstruct its buildings and subtemples. For this reason, it still preserves the splendor of Zen architecture, sculpture, painting, and calligraphy to this very day.

Important Cultural Property
Tōfuku-ji Temple Precincts
Inscription by Ryōan Keigo
Tōfuku-ji Temple, Kyoto
[on view: November 7–December 3, 2023]

Tamonten (Vaiśravaṇa) Statue
From Standing Four Heavenly Kings
Tōfuku-ji Temple, Kyoto