History buffs and dry landscape garden lovers, come join us! Discover the charms of Daitokuji Temple!
Hello! It's Mo. Recently, I've been visiting a lot of Kyoto's shrines and temples, as well as places with beautiful scenery such as cherry blossoms and autumn leaves! Kyoto is really interesting because, in addition to the many temples and shrines, there are also famous places for cherry blossoms and autumn leaves. Each one has its own unique character, so the more you get to know it, the more profound it becomes!!!
Well, this time I would like to explain about Daitokuji Temple, but do you all know about this temple???
When I heard the name of this place, I thought, Ah, it's Ikkyu's temple!!! But I didn't know any more details about it, so I've put together this article!
This time, I would like to explain Daitokuji Temple in a simple and easy-to-understand way!
Please stay with us until the end!
【table of contents】
What is Daitokuji Temple?
Highlights of Daitokuji Temple
・The Sanmon Gate where the statue of Sen no Rikyu is enshrined
・Simple and beautiful. The Hojo Garden at Daitokuji Temple
・The green maples are so beautiful! Takatoin Temple
What is Daitokuji Temple?
Daitokuji is a temple of the Daitokuji school of the Rinzai sect of Buddhism located in Kita-ku, Kyoto City. It is located north of Kyoto Station. Nearby tourist attractions include Imamiya Shrine, Oubai-in Temple, and Kenkun Shrine.
To get to Daitokuji from Kyoto Station by public transportation, take the bus to Shiokoji Takakura, which is about a 4-minute walk from Kyoto Station, and get off at Daitokuji-mae. The ride takes just under 40 minutes. Once you get off at Daitokuji-mae, it's a 1-minute walk to your destination, Daitokuji. Alternatively, you can take the bus from Shimogyo Ward Sogochosha-mae, which is about a 3-minute walk from Kyoto Station, and get off at Kenkun Jinja-mae. The fare is about 230 yen. If you're heading from Kyoto Station, the bus is cheaper than using the JR line.
What kind of place is Daitokuji Temple?
Daitokuji was founded in 1315 by Shuho Myocho. It is said that it began with the construction of a small chapel in Murasakino, north of Kyoto. Shuho Myocho was the leading Zen monk of the time. He was the teacher of Kanzan Egen, who founded Myoshinji, and was such a great and distinguished monk that he was trusted by Emperor Go-Daigo. Daitokuji is not included in the Five Mountains of Kyoto. Due to a dispute between Emperor Go-Daigo and Ashikaga Takauji, Daitokuji, Emperor Go-Daigo's favorite temple, was not included in the Five Mountains of Kyoto.
During the Muromachi period, the buildings were destroyed during the Onin War.
The one who saved him from this crisis was Ikkyu-san!!! His real name was Ikkyu Sojun.
Daitokuji Temple was restored thanks to the assistance of an Osaka merchant who was Ikkyu's financial backer!
This place is also famous as the place where Sen no Rikyu's seppuku incident occurred.
Sen no Rikyu made a large donation to Daitokuji Temple to help restore the temple gate. In return, Daitokuji placed a wooden statue of Sen no Rikyu wearing snow sandals on top of the gate. However, this infuriated Hideyoshi. This was because Hideyoshi, a powerful man, had made Sen no Rikyu pass under him. Hideyoshi then ordered Sen no Rikyu to commit seppuku. People with power can be truly fearsome. There are various theories as to why this happened, including that they disagreed over their views on the tea ceremony and that Sen no Rikyu interfered in politics.
Highlights of Daitokuji Temple
・The Sanmon Gate where the statue of Sen no Rikyu is enshrined
・Simple and beautiful. The Hojo Garden at Daitokuji Temple
・The green maples are so beautiful! Takatoin Temple
・The Sanmon Gate where the statue of Sen no Rikyu is enshrined
The gate of Daitokuji Temple is not just a gate! It is a large building with a two-story structure!
Moreover, it is painted red, which is rare for temple architecture. Only the lower floor was built in 1529, and the upper floor was built with a large donation from Sen no Rikyu. The upper floor is named Kinmoukaku (Golden Mokaku). It was Sen no Rikyu who gave it the name. What does Kinmoukaku mean? It means "a fine Zen master who leads all living beings." The upper floor houses the wooden structure that Sen no Rikyu committed seppuku, as mentioned earlier. You are free to visit the temple grounds. You can enjoy looking at it from outside, or take your time looking inside.
・Simple and beautiful. The Hojo Garden at Daitokuji Temple
This hojo was built in the Edo period. Its garden is a dry landscape garden that does not use water, but is instead covered with white sand to represent the surface of water. There is a small island, with piles of sand lined up next to it. It's simple, yet beautiful. It somehow calmed my soul. A magnificent garden with a pond, trees, and stones is nice, but I also like simple gardens!!! Inside the hojo, there is a painting by Kano Tan'yū
There are also sliding screen paintings on display.
・The green leaves are so beautiful! Kotoin Temple in summer
When you think of Kyoto, you probably think of autumn leaves and cherry blossoms. For that reason, some people may think that they won't enjoy it much if they come in summer or winter. However, the best time to visit Kotoin Temple is in the summer. That's because the green maples and bamboo forest here are so beautiful. If you come here on a hot summer day, you'll forget about the heat!!! It's cool and the greenery is beautiful!!! Come here during the hot summer months and let your body and mind be soothed.
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