• Chion-in Temple started at Kyoto Higashiyama Hill where the originator of the Jodo sect of Buddhism, Saint Honen had been teaching the prayer for 30 years. Apprentice's Saint Genchi built the cathedral in 1234 in 23 years after the Saint Honen postmortem, and the temple title of "Chion-in Temple" was received from Emperor Shijo. A present outlook of the temple consists of the buildings of 100 houses or more and has been made by Tokugawa family, who dedicated the teaching of the sect, in Edo period.

• The Mieido hall is a building commonly called Big hall. It is called the Mieido or Image of the originator hall because the image of the originator Saint Honen is worshiped in here. This hall is the center of the Temple. It was built by Iemitsu Tokugawa of third Brigadier General army in 1639. The architectural style is Japanese in which it tempers with Tang Dynasty. The size is 35m in depth, width 45m, and 3m in width.

• The scripture house is in the southeast of the Mieido hall. This building was set up in 1621. In the inside, there are six thousands of General Buddhism scripture of Sung Dynasty edition supplied by contributing second Brigadier General Hidetada Tokugawa.

• Amidado is the only building built in year of the Meiji era. This building was the creation of Saint Genchi, and moved in 1710 to present ground. It has been ruined at the Meiji era, it started constructing in 1903, and completed in 1910. The principal image is 2.7m in height of the Amida Buddha seated figure.

• The big bell tower is about 70 tons in weight, 3.3m in height and the caliber 2.8m, known as big as Kyoto Hoko-ji Temple and Nara Todaiji Temple. This big bell was cast in 1636. The belfry where this big bell was supported was built in 1678. It is only sounded on Saint Honen festival in April and a watch-night bell on the New Year's Eve.

• This style of gate is generally written in Chinese characters as Mountain Gate, while this gate is expressed as Three Gate. It is a gate where the stage of three emancipations of empty, no aspect, and no prayer is expressed ,in a word, Three Gate. It was built in 1621. In the structure and scale, it is the biggest grand gate as the wooden building in Japan in existence.

Old Gate near the river.	Looks back from Black Gate on temple approach.	Third is North Gate climbing up stone steps.	Mieido hall going inside precinct area.
Mieido hall worships Image of originator Saint Honen. Center of the temple. Built by Iemitsu Tokugawa in 1639. The size is 35m in depth, width 45m, and 3m in width.
Censer in front of Mieido hall.	Scripture house built in 1621. 6000 Buddhism scripture of Sung Dynasty.	2-story tower is 7.5 million Spirit Tower.	Big bell tower is 70 tons , 3.3m in height and caliber 2.8m
Principal image is 2.7m of Amida Buddha seated figure	Three Gate represents the stage of three emancipations of empty, no aspect, and no prayer. Built in 1621. Biggest wooden grand gate in Japan in existence.

2007/05/01