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Temple · Murasakino / Kita Ward

Daitoku-ji and Subtemples 大徳寺

A walled Zen city of more than twenty subtemples where the tea ceremony took shape, with famous small dry gardens at Daisen-in, Zuiho-in and Ryogen-in.

HoursPrecinct always open; subtemples about 9:00-16:30
ClosedSubtemples occasionally closed for ceremonies
PriceDaisen-in (adult): ¥500
Zuiho-in (adult): ¥400
Ryogen-in (adult): ¥350
Precinct: Free
Getting thereDaitokuji-mae bus stop (bus 1, 12, 204, 205, 206), 1 min; Kitaoji Station (Karasuma Line), 15 min
Time needed1.5-2 hours
Best timeWeekday mornings; autumn special openings
Address53 Murasakino Daitokuji-cho, Kita Ward, Kyoto

About

Daitoku-ji was founded in 1315 and rebuilt under the eccentric monk Ikkyu after the Onin War; it became closely tied to the tea ceremony, and Sen no Rikyu himself added the upper storey to its Sanmon gate, an act that contributed to his forced suicide. The main temple buildings are rarely open, but its precinct of stone-paved lanes and clay walls is free to wander, and several subtemples are open daily. Daisen-in has one of the finest karesansui gardens in Japan, an early 16th-century landscape that tells the story of a river from mountain waterfall to the sea of nothingness in a narrow strip of stones and sand. Zuiho-in, built for the Christian daimyo Otomo Sorin, has modern gardens by Shigemori Mirei, including a rock arrangement that forms a hidden cross. Ryogen-in has five gardens including Totekiko, said to be the smallest rock garden in Japan. Koto-in, famous for its maple-lined approach, has been closed to visitors for several years.

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Open in Google Maps · Info checked 2026-10-09

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