Tofukuji Temple in Kyoto

This oban woodblock print depicts Tofuku-ji Temple, a major Zen monastery in southeastern Kyoto renowned for possessing the finest autumn foliage in the city. The temple's Tsutenkyo Bridge, spanning a maple-filled ravine, offers one of Kyoto's most photographed views when the trees below erupt in red and orange each November. Kamei's rendering of Tofuku-ji likely captures this signature view or one of the temple's other celebrated vistas, including its massive sanmon gate, the largest in Japan, or its modern-design gardens by Shigemori Mirei. The temple complex, founded in 1236, provides Kamei with architectural subjects that span centuries of Japanese building tradition. The surrounding maples, planted specifically to create the autumn spectacle, demonstrate how Kyoto's temples deliberately engineered their landscapes for visual impact across seasons.