Mar 21, 2014 - 1 min read

Genko-an

Temple of bloodshed, enlightenment and confusion

By Edward Tseng

Community writer

The famous "Window of Enlightenment" at Genko-an

The "Chitenjou" (Bloody Ceiling) sign at the entrance of Genko-an

A mini souvenir shop, where you pay for admission (400 yen)

A corner praying room with beautiful door art

An elegant gold-plated decoration hanging in front of the chanting table

Maybe I'm confused, but the "Window of Confusion" is just another ordinary window to me

As I looked through "Window of Enlightenment," I sensed peacefulness within me

Another footprint I found as I wandered around the temple

A hard-to-find bloodstained handprint on the ceiling

Take Bus 50, 9, 205, or 206 from Kyoto Station, transfer to Bus 6 or 1, and get-off at Genkoan-mae

One of the famous features of Genko-an is its two windows, the "Window of Enlightenment" and the "Window of Confusion." The circular and rectangular windows give different effects when you look through them. Another is the "Bloody Ceiling." One can see 400-year-old bloodstained hand and foot prints on the ceiling. It was made using wood floors from Fushimi Castle, where soldiers loyal to Tokugawa Ieyasu were defeated and killed themselves. Next time you're in Kyoto, be sure to come to Genko-an to witness these incredible historical remains!

Was this article helpful?

Help us improve the site

Give Feedback

By Edward Tseng

Community writer

Following Follow

David Minor 2 years ago

I hate to spoil the fun but...this is a myth.
These are NOT blood stains.
If they used the timber from another building, they shaved it off with a wood planes and sanded down with rocks to clean it. There is no way they used filthy wood in a visible ceiling, let alone blood.
What you are seeing here are VERY common and happens in buildings with untreated wood (like hinoki) all the time, usually the product of oils or water on the feet and hands. You can see them in a lot of buildings (temples and shrines) today.