Nishi Honganji Temple
is really Nishi Hongan-ji, Kyoto, Kyoto
Real place, reimagined
Real-world photo: Wikimedia Commons
How close does the game get to the real place?
In the game
Nishi Honganji Temple is a landmark in Kyoto in Rise of the Ronin, shown in autumn with golden ginkgo leaves covering the gravel in front of its great halls. The game's halls are much smaller than the real ones, but the ginkgo is a nod to the temple's famous old tree.
The real place
Nishi Hongan-ji is the head temple of the Jōdo Shinshū school of Buddhism and a World Heritage Site. Its Goei-dō hall, finished in 1636, is one of the largest wooden buildings in Kyoto. In 1865 the Shinsengumi, the shogunate's police force in the game's era, moved their headquarters into the temple grounds.
Visiting
Entry is free and the temple opens early in the morning. Come in late November or early December to see the huge ginkgo in front of the Goei-dō turn gold; legend says it sprayed water to save the temple from a great fire.
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Pilgrim photos
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