Cherry Blossoms and Maple Trees on Gold: A Father-and-Son Masterpiece at Chishaku-in Temple

In the quiet halls of Chishaku-in Temple in Kyoto's Higashiyama district, a breathtaking encounter awaits visitors: the National Treasure wall paintings known as "Cherry Blossoms and Maple Trees" (Ōfū-zu). Painted on lavish gold-leaf backgrounds by Hasegawa Tōhaku and his son Kyūzō around 1592, these monumental works represent the pinnacle of Momoyama-period painting. Few experiences in Japanese art are as moving as standing before these luminous screens, where the passionate brushwork of a young genius and the mature mastery of his grieving father have been preserved for over four centuries.

The Story Behind the Paintings

The story of these paintings is inseparable from the history of Japan's most powerful rulers. In 1591, the warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi was devastated by the death of his beloved first son, Tsurumatsu, who passed away at just three years of age. To honor the boy's memory, Hideyoshi commissioned the construction of Shōun-ji, a magnificent memorial temple on the eastern hills of Kyoto. For the interior decoration of this grand temple, Hideyoshi turned to Hasegawa Tōhaku and his workshop.

Tōhaku, born in the town of Nanao on the Noto Peninsula (present-day Ishikawa Prefecture), had spent decades building his reputation in Kyoto. This commission—his first truly monumental project—arrived when he was already in his fifties. It was the opportunity of a lifetime, and the Hasegawa workshop poured their collective genius into creating a series of wall and sliding-door paintings that would become known as the supreme masterpieces of the Momoyama era.

Why These Paintings Are Designated a National Treasure

The "Cherry Blossoms and Maple Trees" paintings (formally designated as "Color Paintings of Cherry Blossoms and Maple Trees on Gold-Leaf Paper: Nine Wall Panels and Two Sliding Door Panels") earned National Treasure status for several compelling reasons. They are among the finest surviving examples of kinpeki shōhekiga—the gold-ground polychrome wall painting style that defined the artistic spirit of the Momoyama period (late 16th century). The paintings showcase an extraordinary combination of bold, large-scale composition and meticulous detail, utilizing precious materials including gold leaf, mineral pigments such as azurite (gunjo), malachite green (rokusho), and ochre (taisha).

The works are also profoundly significant as documents of artistic lineage. The "Cherry Blossoms" section is attributed to Kyūzō, Tōhaku's eldest son, who painted it at the remarkable age of just twenty-five. The "Maple Tree" section is believed to have been completed by Tōhaku himself at the age of fifty-five, possibly after his son's untimely death. Together, they offer an irreplaceable record of two generations of artistic genius captured at a pivotal moment in Japanese art history.

Highlights and What to Look For

A Story of Survival Through Fire

The survival of these paintings is itself a remarkable story. After the fall of the Toyotomi clan, Tokugawa Ieyasu granted the Shōun-ji temple grounds to Chishaku-in in 1615. The original buildings were destroyed by fire in 1682, but the monks of Chishaku-in heroically rescued the paintings, cutting them from the walls to save them from the flames. This explains the somewhat unnatural seam lines visible in the works today—and also accounts for the portions that were lost. The paintings survived additional threats including fires and theft over the centuries, each time preserved by the devotion of the temple's monks who believed these treasures must be protected at all costs.

Exploring the Temple Grounds

Chishaku-in, the head temple of the Chisan school of Shingon Buddhism, offers much more than its celebrated paintings. The Meishō Garden, a nationally designated Place of Scenic Beauty, is a stunning pond-strolling garden said to be designed in the style favored by the tea master Sen no Rikyū. Modeled after China's Mount Lu, it features a long, narrow pond with sculpted azalea bushes and natural stones, creating an impression of mountain valleys in miniature. The garden is especially beautiful when the azaleas bloom in May and June.

The temple's Kondō (Main Hall), rebuilt in 1975, enshrines a statue of Dainichi Nyorai (Mahavairocana Buddha) and is open to visitors free of charge. The Myō-ō-den (Wisdom King Hall), originally a building from Daiunin temple, houses the Fudō Myō-ō known as the "Wheat-Pounding Fudō." Visitors can also explore the Lecture Hall (Kōdō), which features a series of ink paintings by the modern artist Tabuchi Toshio depicting the four seasons of Japan.

Nearby Attractions

Chishaku-in is ideally situated in the cultural heart of Kyoto's Higashiyama area. The Kyoto National Museum is directly adjacent to the temple, making it easy to combine visits. Sanjūsangen-dō, famous for its 1,001 statues of Kannon, is just a five-minute walk to the west. Further north along the pilgrim routes lie the iconic Kiyomizu-dera Temple and the Yasaka Shrine area with its atmospheric streets of Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka. For those interested in the connections between art and power in the Momoyama period, the nearby Hōkoku Shrine—dedicated to Toyotomi Hideyoshi himself—provides fascinating historical context.