Miidera Temple (Translation)
Eight Views of Omi (Series Title)
近江八景の内 三井寺 木版画 大正6年
(Primary Title)
Night Rain at Mi Temple (Donor's Title)
Ito Shinsui 伊東深水, Japanese, 1898 - 1972 (Artist)
Published by, Watanabe Shōzaburō 渡邊庄三郎, Japanese, 1885 - 1962 (Publisher)
The Miidera Temple is located at the foothills of Mount Hiei in Otsu, a short distance from Kyoto. The name Miidera was derived from a natural hot spring, where Emperors Tenchi and Tenmu and Empress Jito received their first ritual baths as newborn infants in the 7th century. Here, Shinsui has illustrated a close-up, cropped view of the Moon Viewing Stage by a temple hall, accompanied by a pine tree bending in the storm. The vertical lines define the heavy rain, and the use of light and shadow creates a misty atmosphere. A small bell hanging from the roof evokes a large bell housed in the temple, as well as the phrase “the evening bell of Miidera.”
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