National Treasures & Important Cultural Properties
of National Institutes for Cultural Heritage, Japan

The Shinden building of Enman-in Temple in Otsu City had formerly been located in the Imperial Palace grounds in Kyoto. The building was bestowed upon the temple on the occasion of a major palace renovation during the Kan'ei years (1624-44). The building was officially granted in 1642 (Kan'ei 18), and its reconstruction on the new temple site was completed in 1647 (Shôho 4). The original building had been built as living quarters for Tokugawa Masako (also known as Tôfukumon'in) when she joined the imperial family in 1620 (Genna 6). Along with the building, the temple was granted a set of paintings on room partitions by the Kanô school painters, who had been responsible for decorating the Shinden's interior. The temple assiduously maintained the paintings for many years; eventually they came into the possession of the Kyoto National Museum. Encompassing a range of subject matter and scenes, including "Scene of Sumiyoshi Shrine," painted on sliding doors (J., fusuma) and walls, these paintings are outstanding examples of the work of the original Kanô school painters during the Momoyama period (1573-1615) and early Edo period.