Daitokuji
Daitokuji
京都府
Zen sanctuary of Ikkyu and Rikyu — 24 sub-temples with stunning dry-landscape gardens
Founded
1315
Type
Temple
Visited
Want to go
Access
Right at City Bus Daitokuji-mae stop
53 Murasakino Daitokuji-cho, Kita-ku, Kyoto
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Info
Temple
Founded 1315
711 years
Enshrined Deity
Buddhist Sect
Rinzai Zen (Daitokuji branch)
Overview
A major Rinzai Zen temple deeply connected to Ikkyu Sojun and Sen no Rikyu, serving as a center of tea culture. Housing 24 sub-temples within its grounds, it is known as a treasure trove of dry landscape gardens.
Origins
Founded in 1325 by Shuho Myocho. Emperor Go-Daigo ranked it 'peerless Zen garden of Japan.' Devastated in the Onin War, restored by Ikkyu Sojun. In 1583, Hideyoshi held Nobunaga's funeral here. Sen no Rikyu placed his statue atop the Sanmon gate, provoking Hideyoshi's wrath and his forced suicide.
Divine Benefits
Warding Off Evil
Purification
Rebirth in Pure Land
Averting disaster, directional protection, warding off epidemics. Central at Fudo, Kannon, and Gion-related sites.
Derived from the enshrined deity "釈迦如来"

Related Historical Events
1

1483
Higashiyama Culture
Late 15th-century culture centered on the 8th shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa's Higashiyama villa (including the Silver Pavilion). Amid post-Ōnin War turmoil, it established uniquely Japanese aesthetics of simplicity, yūgen, wabi, and Zen. The Silver Pavilion (1489) and Tōgu-dō Dōjinsai room model the shoin-zukuri style that became the template for modern Japanese residences—with tatami, shōji, alcove (tokonoma), staggered shelves, and built-in desk. Dry landscape gardens (Ryōan-ji, Daisen-in), Sesshū's ink landscapes, Murata Jukō's wabi tea origins, Ikenobō flower arrangement, and renga poetry form the backbone of later Japanese culture.
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Posts
1
あきとし
2026/5/1
和久傳系列のいつつのすぐそばにあるお寺。 立派な枯山水でした。
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Visiting Information
Hours
The main hall (Hōjō) of Daitokuji is closed to the public except during special openings. The temple precincts (approach paths) can be walked through during the day. The four sub-temples open year-round (Ryōgen-in, Zuihō-in, Daisen-in, Kōtō-in) are each open roughly from about 9:00 to 16:30.
Admission
The temple grounds are free to stroll through. The main hall is not normally open. The sub-temples open year-round each charge their own admission fee (e.g., Daisen-in around 400 yen).
As of 2026-07-17. Subject to change.
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