Manju-ji (万寿寺) is a Rinzai Buddhist temple in Higashiyama-ku Kyoto, Japan. Owing to the influence of the Ashikaga, Manju-ji was designated a Jissatsu temple for a time. At present, it is a sub-temple of Tōfuku-ji. It is considered to be one of the so-called Kyoto Gozan or "five great Zen temples of Kyoto".

History

Manju-ji was founded in the middle Heian period (late 13th century). In 1305, Nanpo Shōmyō (南浦紹明) (1235–1308) was appointed abbot of Manju-ji. In 2012, the monastery participated in the so-called East-West Spiritual Exchanges organised by the Institute for Zen Studies of Hanazono University and the Monastic Interreligious Dialogue (DIMMID) in which Buddhist and Christian monks or nuns take turns residing for one month in each other’s monasteries.

Artwork

An artistically noteworthy Amida figure is too large to be moved from Manju-ji for display elsewhere. The temple holds a collection of esoteric Buddhist art which was traditionally used in teaching the salient points in the story of the life of Gautama Buddha.