Teiji-no-in (亭子院)
Teiji-no-in is the palace in which Emperor Uda who reigned during the Heian period resided after his abdication located on the western side of Nishinotoin-dori Street, in 13-cho and 14-cho, 7-jo/2-bo (where a "jo" is row of sections running east-west and a "bo" is a column of sections running north-south) in Sakyo (the left (eastern) side of the city).
It is known that banquets and other events such as Teijinoin Uta-awase (a waka poem contest held at Teijinoin) and Teijinoin Sake Kassen (a sake drinking contest held at Teiji-no-in) in which famous men of literature and omiyabito (courtiers at the Imperial Court) would participate were held there.
Summary
It was also called Higashi Shichijo no Miya (lit. Palace the seventh jo on the east side) according to the jo-bo system of naming sections of the city, and is also known as the palace of Emperor Uda's wife FUJIWARA no Onshi. Because a tei (or teishi) (pavilion) was placed in the pond, the place became called Teiji-no-in.
During the lifetime of Cloistered Emperor Uda, the word "Teiji-no-in" was widely used to refer to the cloistered emperor in the diaries and poetry collections written by famous courtiers, as well as in "Nihongi Ryaku" (Summary of Japanese Chronologies).
Records Relating to Teiji-no-in
When Cloistered Emperor Uda was going to add new buildings in the premises to make Higashi shichijo no Miya his Goin Palace in 899, a statue of Fudo-son was found in an old well. It was found that, because this block corresponded to the kimon (the northeastern (unlucky) direction) of Toji-Temple which had been granted to Kobo Daishi (Kukai), Kukai sculpted a Fudo-son image out of a stone possessing spiritual force that he had found, and buried the image there so that it could not be seen. It is said that, therefore, the cloistered emperor issued an imperial edict to close the well.
In August 903 when SUGAWARA no Michizane died, it was recorded that "Kotaifujin (the title for the wife of a retired emperor) FUJIWARA no Onshi moved to Higashi shichijo no Miya.
After Cloistered Emperor Uda died on September 8, 931, Teiji-no-in became used not as goin palace but as a temple. The Fudo-do Hall of Myo-o-in Temple currently stands on the site.