• Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Bonsai Tonight

An educational website about bonsai development

  • Blog
    • How-to Guides
  • Podcast
  • Shop
    • Bonsai
    • Books
    • Soil
    • Soil (wholesale)
    • Supplies
    • Tools
    • Video Consulting
    • Northern California Bonsai Resources
  • About
    • Workshops

Daitoku-ji

January 4, 2012 by Jonas Dupuich

Daitoku-ji is a Kyoto temple dating from the early 14th century. Over time, 22 sub-temples have been added to the complex making the 56 acres that comprise the grounds a super destination for enjoying Japanese gardens. A number of Daitoku-ji’s gardens are only open a few weeks each year – others are usually open to the public. Some allow photography, some limit photography, and others allow no photography at all. Here is a glance at the sub-temples I visited in  November.

Obai-in

I walked right in to the first garden I passed, Obai-in. Later I found out it’s rarely open to the public. Although they don’t allow photographs in the main gardens, they do allow photographs in the courtyard just inside the entrance. It turned out to be one of my favorite gardens of the day, and I didn’t see anyone inside until I was on my way 0ut. Here are some shots from the entrance area.

Lantern at Obai-in

Stone lantern

Front garden at Obai-in

Stones and moss beneath maples.

Front garden at Obai-in

Obai-in dates from the 16th century – these rocks have been sitting here for a while

Front garden at Obai-in

Stones and pine bark in moss

Front garden at Obai-in

Path and gate to the side garden

Ryogen-in

I was very excited to visit the next temple I came to – Ryogen-in. I’d seen photographs of the temple’s five gardens in many Japanese landscape books. The main garden is called Isshidan.

Garden at Ryogen-in Temple

Isshidan

Garden at Ryogen-in Temple

The moss mound is known as Tortoise Island – the white sand, the sea

Garden at Ryogen-in Temple

The tall stone symbolizes Mt. Horai

Garden at Ryogen-in Temple

Path leading between gardens

My favorite of Ryogen-in’s gardens is Ryogin-tei. In many ways, It might be my favorite garden anywhere. A few stones are arranged toward the back of a sea of moss. Some shrubs and a single tree complete the scene. It is the oldest of Daitoku-ji’s gardens, created by a famous artist of the time, Soami.

Garden at Ryogen-in Temple

Ryogin-tei

Garden at Ryogen-in Temple

The iconic stones at the garden’s center

Garden at Ryogen-in Temple

The garden’s lone tree

Garden at Ryogen-in Temple

It’s a very small garden

Korin-in

A short walk brought me to Korin-in, the family temple of Saemonno-suke Hatakeyama, Lord of Noto prefecture circa 1520.

Garden at Ryogen-in Temple

Entrance area

Korin-in’s main garden expresses the idea of paradise. “An azalea bush and stones are the symbol of the Elysian mountain,” says the Temple brochure.

Garden at Kohrin-in Temple

The heavenly scene at Korin-in

Garden at Kohrin-in Temple

Looking toward the entrance

Many gardens featured “windows” like the one pictured above. Some gardens, like Hoshun-in, only allowed photography through such a window.

Garden at Kohrin-in Temple

Side garden

Garden at Kohrin-in Temple

Mossy garden between buildings

Hoshun-in

Hoshun-in features two gardens, Kagantei and Donkokaku. Donkokaku is one of Kyoto’s famous rokaku (pavilion) including Kinkaku, Ginkaku and Hiunkaku. No photography allowed. The following shots show Kagantei through the “window” at the garden’s entrance.

Garden at Hoshun-in

Kagantei Garden

Garden at Hoshun-in

Main Hall and Kagantei at Hoshun-in

Garden at Hoshun-in

Hoshun-in entrance garden

Daisen-in

Daisen-in is one of the most famous sub-temples at Daitoku-ji. The small rock garden follows the flow of water through a dry scene around two sides of the temple. No photos are allowed, however you can take a virtual tour online. From the brochure: “If you would like to be served green tea while looking at this garden, please try to say ‘O-cha kudasai,’ and you will have another unforgettable memory.” Out front is a crazy white pine.

Outside Daisen-in?

White pine in front of Daisen-in

Koto-in

The last temple I visited in the Daitoku-ji complex is Koto-in. The temple was established in 1601 at the behest of Hosokawa Tadaoki, a military leader in the campaign that led to the Tokugawa shogunate. Tadaoki devoted his later life to the study of Zen. His wife, somewhat incongruously, was a devout Catholic.

Garden at Koto-in

Garden entrance

Path to garden entrance

Looking toward garden entrance

Garden at Koto-in

A common sight in Kyoto in fall

Garden at Koto-in

The trees they were looking at

Garden at Koto-in

Approach to the main garden

Garden at Koto-in

The main garden – super use of color

Stone path

Stone path

Water basin

Wash basin

Garden at Koto-in

What color!

Garden at Koto-in

The view from the tea house

Garden at Koto-in

Another view from the tea house

Tomorrow: temple week continues with Kiyomizudera at night!

Subscribe to Bonsai Tonight

New Posts Delivered Every Tuesday and Friday

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

We won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time. Powered by Kit

Filed Under: Excursions Tagged With: Japan, Kyoto

Previous Post: « Kinkaku – the Golden Pavilion
Next Post: Kiyomizu-dera »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. gaycarboys says

    January 4, 2012 at 10:30 pm

    Very serene

  2. Daniel Dolan says

    January 5, 2012 at 4:38 am

    Jonas:

    Beautiful photography.

    Question about the very rounded azalea shrubs which are closely placed next to stones such as at Korin-in image. If I am to read the stones as mountains what are the shrubs? Are these also mountainous forms covered with a green landscape?

    Thank you.

    D/D

  3. xwires says

    January 5, 2012 at 10:51 am

    Hi Daniel – thanks for the comment. I don’t know if there’s a direct analogue or not. I’ll let you know if I learn of one.

Footer

Follow Bonsai Tonight

Subscribe

Instagram ● Facebook ● Twitter
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Shop
  • About

P.O. Box 6560, Alameda, CA 94501 · 510-915-2025 · jonas (at) bonsaitonight (dot) com

© Copyright 2009-2025 Bonsai Tonight · All rights reserved · Privacy · Log in

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. You can opt-out if you wish. Accept Decline Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT