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Seventeen Kyoto Gardens Described by Frois and Vilela

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Luis Frois: First Western Accounts of Japan's Gardens, Cities and Landscapes

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Abstract

Like the contemporary visitor to Kyoto, Frois in 1565 was enthralled with the physical surroundings of his new home. In his 2500 pages of Historia de Japam we are given many details of daily life in Kyoto, as well as descriptions of 23 temples, gardens and landscapes around Kyoto as far as Lake Biwa and Azuchi Mountain where, in 1581, he travelled to meet Oda Nobunaga. He was particularly struck by the Japanese cultural tradition, in fact, the Portuguese traders and Jesuits were witnesses (if not in part the cause) of this short but dynamic period of 30 years sandwiched between the Muromachi and the Edo periods, known as the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1568–1603), that led to the unification of Japan.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The real size of a tatami mat is 169 cm × 85.5 cm.

  2. 2.

    Old Portuguese currency.

  3. 3.

    Translation by Cristina Castel-Branco, [9].

  4. 4.

    The full description is presented in Sect. 3.12—Jurakudai Palace.

  5. 5.

    Guivon, meaning Gion, referring to the Yasaka Shrine located in the Gion District.

  6. 6.

    Monk Kukai, also known as Kobo Daishi, 774–835, was a Japanese Buddhist monk and the founder of the Shingon (or Esoteric) school of Japanese Buddhism (see pp. 70–73 in [13]).

  7. 7.

    Though the tower is square, inside the access stair is laid out in a circle.

  8. 8.

    Information collected locally from a pamphlet published and distributed by To-ji temple.

  9. 9.

    The current emperor, at that time Emperor Ogimachi.

  10. 10.

    The castle of Mont Tamon—described in the Nara chapter (Sect. 4.6).

  11. 11.

    Kampaku, or prime minister of the empire, a title created and conferred on a Fujiwara nobleman in the Year 888. This was the first time the title was borne by someone who was not a noble figure of the Fujiwara clan, for whom it had been expressly reserved.

  12. 12.

    Emperor Ogimachi, the 106th Emperor of Japan. He ruled from the 27th of October 1557, to his abdication on the 17th of December 1586.

  13. 13.

    Emperor Go-Yozei, the 107th Emperor of Japan. He ruled from 1586 through to his abdication in 1611.

  14. 14.

    Information collected locally in a brochure published by the Imperial Household Agency.

  15. 15.

    The painting dates back from the temples’ reconstruction in 1934.

  16. 16.

    Information collected locally in a brochure published by Tofuku-ji Temple.

  17. 17.

    Information collected locally from a pamphlet published by the Tofuku-ji Temple.

  18. 18.

    Though Frois does not record the presence of Otomo Sorin in Kyoto, we believe he was one of the 30 Christians accompanying Frois on this visit.

  19. 19.

    Referring to côvado, an old Portuguese unit of length equivalent to 66 cm (see p. 55 in [22]).

  20. 20.

    Photography at Daisen-in is strictly forbidden.

  21. 21.

    Information collected locally from a pamphlet published and distributed by the Korin-in sub-temple

  22. 22.

    Information collected locally from a pamphlet published and distributed by the Oubai-in sub-temple.

  23. 23.

    Information collected locally from a pamphlet published and distributed by the Zuiho-in sub-temple.

  24. 24.

    Kubo-sama was another term for the Shogun, in this case referring to Ashikaga Yoshimitsu

  25. 25.

    Muso Soseki, posthumous title of the priest Soseki, dead 1351.

  26. 26.

    The number is missing in both places.

  27. 27.

    Referring to the Golden Pavilion, Kinkaku.

  28. 28.

    Referring to the lower-level pond, Kyoko-chi pond.

  29. 29.

    Information collected locally from a pamphlet published and distributed by the Rokuon-ji Temple.

  30. 30.

    Excursions and picnics for enjoying flowers, particularly cherry blossoms, which remains one of the most popular events of Spring.

  31. 31.

    Information collected locally from a pamphlet published and distributed by the Rokuon-ji Temple.

  32. 32.

    A stupa is a structure containing relics (typically the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns) that is used as a place of meditation

  33. 33.

    Mount Hiei is located East of Kyoto, but a typographical error in the text in identifying east and west resulted in some difficulty in pinpointing the mountain described—that is until we realized that the mountain and lake described by Vilela could only be Mount Hiei and Lake Biwa, East of Kyoto.

  34. 34.

    According to Miguel da Silva Marques one Portuguese league measures between 5.6 and 6.5 km (see p. 24 in [30]).

  35. 35.

    Lake Biwa is the largest freshwater lake in Japan, measuring 22.8 km wide and 63.49 km long. Gaspar Vilela’s text contains an error: instead of 40 leagues it should be 10 leagues.

  36. 36.

    The source word used is “bailéu”. Originally the word bailéu comes from the Malay word bailai, which means “high platform” [34].

  37. 37.

    The source words are “esteira de verga”, literally meaning a mat made of wicker, probably referring to tatami mats.

  38. 38.

    Taking into account the description, probably referring to Mandarin ducks (Oshidori: Aix galericulata).

  39. 39.

    One of stones used by Oda Nobunaga in the construction of the garden was taken from the garden of Hosokawa Harumoto described in Sect. 4.10.

  40. 40.

    See Yasuo Takahashi in p. 179 in [16].

  41. 41.

    The full quotation is given in Sect. 4.5—Unidentified temple in Nara.

  42. 42.

    Footnote by Cooper: A reference to Ashikaga Yoshimasa, 1435–1490, the eighth Ashikaga Shogun, whose rule was marked by continual civil strife and the ten-year Onin Wars. I have supplied the actual dates of his rule which are missing in the Portuguese text.

  43. 43.

    Translation by Cristina Castel-Branco [7].

  44. 44.

    Footnote by Cooper: Ginkaku-ji has in its vicinity a small companion hall, the Togudo, in which the 4 and 1/2 mat tea-room, called Dojinsai, is situated (see p. 95 in [1]).

  45. 45.

    Prof. Nakamura refers to the 1960s discovery following an archaeological excavation of the foundation stones a small house near this well that could have been another tea house?

  46. 46.

    Footnote by José Wicki: Higashi-yama the East mountain surrounding Kyoto.

  47. 47.

    Footnote by José Wicki: Sanjû-sangen also called Renge-ô-in, meaning Hall of the 33 bays.

  48. 48.

    Footnote by José Wicki: The temple was built by emperor Go-Shirakawa in 1164; it burnt out 85 years later and was rebuilt by the Emperor Kameyama (ruled 1260–1274). The existing hall dates from 1266.

  49. 49.

    The statue Frois describes is in fact a Basu Sennin, a Buddhist deity (Fig. 3.29).

  50. 50.

    “Kannon (prior to modern reformation of Japanese orthography Kwannon), deity of mercy who sees and listens to all misery”, commented by José Wicki.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Landscape Architecture Professor; Department of Natural Resources and Landscape, School of Agronomy, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal

    Cristina Castel-Branco

  2. ACB Landscape Architecture Studio, Landscape Architect, MLA University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal

    Guida Carvalho

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  1. Cristina Castel-Branco
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Castel-Branco, C., Carvalho, G. (2020). Seventeen Kyoto Gardens Described by Frois and Vilela. In: Luis Frois: First Western Accounts of Japan's Gardens, Cities and Landscapes. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-0018-3_3

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