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Gyokuhō-in

Buddhist sub-temple in Kyoto, Japan

Architectural plans, a scale model, maps and brass measuring instruments
Places and architectureInterpretive dossier study · Crown Archives visual atlas
Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionJul 30, 2026
Entity authorityQ133326109 ↗
Source-derived summary

Gyokuhō-in (玉鳳院) is one of the 40+ tatchu sub-temples Myōshin-ji, a Rinzai school Zen Buddhist temple in the Hanazono neighborhood of Ukyō-ku in the city of Kyoto, Japan. It is also called the Gyokuhō-Zenkyu (玉鳳院禅宮). It is not normally open to the public.

Overview

Gyokuhō-in is the oldest of Myōshin-ji's sub-temples and was founded by Emperor Hanazono in 1337. Upon entering the main gate, the Kuri (kitchen quarters) in directly in front, and a corridor connects the Hōjō (abbot's chamber) and the Kaisan-dō (Founder's chapel) where the remains of Kanzan Egen, the founder of Myoshin-ji, is buried. The fusuma paintings in the Hōjō are by Kanō Yasunobu and Kanō Toun. The Sanmon, Hōjō and the Kaisan-dō are all National Important Cultural Properties. A wooden statue of Emperor Hanazono is enshrined in the inner sanctuary. The temple was reconstructed in 1656.

To the north and south of the corridor are gardens from the early Momoyama period, including the South Garden, Mountain Garden, and Feng Shui Spring Garden.

Editorial summary

The public source identifies “Gyokuhō-in” as buddhist sub-temple in Kyoto, Japan. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Gyokuhō-in, Buddhist and sub-temple.

Editorial reviewA valuable geographic starting point for tracing changing names, boundaries, uses and administrative responsibility. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—1337, 1656—that can be checked directly. The selected authority fields contribute no independent date. Its value is orientation rather than verdict, with Gyokuhō-in, Buddhist and sub-temple providing the first useful test.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Gyokuhō-in”, the useful work is to connect “buddhist sub-temple in Kyoto, Japan” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.

Evidence profile

Maps, plans, fabric surveys and administrative records can establish how the site’s name, extent and function changed over time. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 30, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q133326109. The first chronological checks are 1337 and 1656.

Critical limits

Architectural summaries often privilege surviving fabric and can understate demolished phases, contested use or displaced communities. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.

Best used for
  • Historic place names
  • Jurisdictional context
  • Routes into maps and plans
Verify next

Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “Gyokuhō-in”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow Gyokuhō-in primary sources, Gyokuhō-in archive and Gyokuhō-in research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Gyokuhō-in”?
  2. What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
  3. Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from “Gyokuhō-in” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.