Rokuhara-Mitsuji Temple

A woodblock print depicting Rokuhara Mitsuji, a Tendai Buddhist temple in Kyoto's Higashiyama district, historically significant as the seat of power for the Taira clan during the late Heian period. The temple houses remarkable Kamakura-period sculptures, including the famous image of the monk Kuya with small Buddha figures emerging from his mouth. Nakazawa presents the temple in its present-day setting, a relatively modest compound whose unassuming exterior belies its extraordinary artistic treasures and turbulent history. The surrounding Rokuhara neighborhood was once the political center of samurai rule before the Minamoto victory, a layer of historical weight that Japanese viewers would have recognized in this quiet architectural scene.