There are statues and paintings of various fish in Kyoto’s shrines and temples, including sea bream, carp, and eels. These are either related to gods or Buddhas or based on legends.
Here we will introduce recommended shrines and temples for each type of fish.
Fish shrines and temples in Kyoto
Fish : Manpukuji Temple
It is the head temple of the Obaku sect. A fish drum is hung in the corridor. This is a Buddhist implement that makes sounds to tell the monk the time.
Because fish do not blink, they are a symbol of preventing sleep during training and of working hard. The ball coming out of his mouth is a mass of earthly desires that he is trying to expel from his body.
Sea bream : Nogi-jinja Shrine
Ebisu is a sacred being who holds a sea bream. For this reason, a statue of a sea bream has been erected at Ebisu Shrine, located within the grounds of Nogi-jinja Shrine.
On the body of the large sea bream, the words “I want to be happy” are written in Japanese. The small sea bream has the words “prosperous business” written on it.
Carp : Gokonomiya-jinja Shrine
There is a carving of Kinko Hermit riding a carp under the eaves of the worship hall. This is a scene where he emerges from the water on a carp to catch a dragon.
Next to it is a carving depicting the legend of a carp that climbs the waterfall and turns into a dragon.
Eel : Takio-jinja Shrine
Mishima Shrine, located within the grounds of Takio-jinja Shrine, is a rare shrine in which eels are its messengers. A votive plaque with two eels on it is said to grant fertility, while three eels are said to grant safe childbirth.
The Eel Festival is held every year on October 26th. Eel dealers from all over the country participate in this festival and release eels into the pond.
Catfish : Taizoin Temple
Taizoin is a sub-temple of Myoshinji Temple and is famous for its National Treasure painting, “Gourd and catfish” This painting is a ink Wash Painting based on the Zen question theme: How can one catch a catfish with a gourd?
There were catfish and gourd roof tiles. The catfish’s round eyes are cute.
