Kotoin (Daitokuji)

Kotoin (Daitokuji)

京都府

Daitokuji sub-temple built in 1602 by Hosokawa Tadaoki of Rikyu's Seven Disciples, where Gracia's moss-covered grave lantern stands amid a maple-tunnel approach

Founded

1602

Type

Temple

Visited

Want to go

Access

About 4 min walk from Kenkun-jinja-mae bus stop

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Info

Temple

Founded 1602

424 years

Enshrined Deity

Rinzai Zen (Daitokuji branch)

Overview

A sub-temple of Daitokuji founded in 1602 by Hosokawa Tadaoki (Sansai) as a memorial temple for his father Hosokawa Fujitaka (Yusai). The approach is a tunnel of maples and bamboo and is celebrated as one of Kyoto's finest autumn foliage destinations. In the garden, a stone lantern covered in moss marks the graves of Hosokawa Tadaoki and his wife Gracia (Garasha), evoking their tragic love story. …

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Origins

Kotoin was founded in 1602 by Hosokawa Tadaoki (Sansai) as a sub-temple of Daitokuji to serve as a memorial site for his father, Hosokawa Fujitaka (Yusai). Tadaoki was one of the celebrated "Seven Disciples of Rikyu" and a master of the Way of Tea, and the temple reflects this deep connection to tea…

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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"

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Related Articles
— 3

Exploring Daitokuji's Sub-Temples: Decoding Zen and Tea Aesthetics

Daitokuji, head temple of the Rinzai Daitokuji school, has been the premier sanctuary where Zen and tea converge since its founding in 1324. This article traces the revival by Ikkyu Sojun, the tragedy of Sen no Rikyu, and the refined aesthetics of sub-temples including Kotoin, Obaiin, Shinjuan, and Daisenin, guided by a garden researcher's discerning eye.

Chashitsu and Roji: The Universe of the Nijiriguchi and Japan's Three National Treasure Tea Rooms

Even the most powerful ruler bows to pass through the 66-centimetre nijiriguchi. The deepest philosophy in Japanese architectural history lives in the tea rooms designed by Sen no Rikyu. Covering the three National Treasure tea rooms (Taian, Joan, Mittan), roji garden paths, and visiting information for Myokian, Daitokuji, and Inuyama.

Yushima Shoten's Suikinkutsu Water Harp and the Aesthetic of Kobori Enshu

Yushima Shoten (Shinjoin Temple) in Bunkyo, Tokyo, enshrines a water harp (suikinkutsu) beside the historic Yanagi-no-I spring. Said to have been devised by Edo-period daimyo tea master Kobori Enshu, this article explores the legend of the water harp, the temple's founding, and a pilgrimage route around Ueno and Yushima.

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Related Figures
— 1

Master of Wabi-cha Tea Ceremony

Age 80 at founding (posthumous)

Hosokawa Tadaoki (Sansai), who founded Kotoin, was one of Sen no Rikyu's foremost disciples, known as the "Seven Sages of Rikyu." Rikyu is said to have personally given Tadaoki a treasured lantern, and Tadaoki carried on Rikyu's tea ceremony philosophy throughout his life. The temple still reflects the spirit of tea passed between master and disciple.

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