Shisendo

Without doubt, Shisendo Temple is my most favourite place in Kyoto. A small tranquil, rustic temple dedicated to Classical Chinese poetry with Zen gardens.
Below link (and video) consist of photos I have taken in different seasons and on different visits to Shisendo. I often joke (not actually joking) saying that this is the place I wish to retire later in my life and live a modest, secluded and simple life as a garden sweeper, doing some ticket selling and dead leaves gathering...And watch the garden just at sunset, when the tourists have just left it peaceful and tranquil...

Link to photo Web album on Picassa:
Shisendo
http://picasaweb.google.com/d.salamandrina/Shisendo?authkey=Gv1sRgCOC0_8Tv6ZmMfg&feat=directlink

This is my first attempt at making a video, quite far from perfect, but still hopefully not too bad.
The video is a selection of my Summer, Autumn and Winter photos taken at Shisendo fitted to a koto and flute tune called "沙羅の花"("Camellia flower") from CD 池上眞吾.

Go to see the video on Youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ca0imnT2eG0

Shisen-do (The House of the Immortal Poets) temple, is a former hermitage of a man of taste and ex-samurai Ishikawa Jozan (1583-1672). It belongs to the Soto Zen Buddhist sect.
In the year 1641 Jozan built a cottage named Ohtotsu-ka (uneven nest) to spend a secluded life. He displayed poems and portraits of 36 Chinese ancient poets in one of the temples rooms, that is called Shisen-no-ma (The Room of the Immortal Poets) . This is the reason why this temple is called Shisen-do.
Among them are my favourite Chinese poets, as among them Tao Yuanming (Tao Qian) is the one I admire and like the most.

For those of you who know me, it is quite obvious why I like this place so much...