Daisen-in (Daitoku-ji sub-temple)

大仙院

4.2Est. 30Kyoto, Kansai

Local Pick

Overview

1509 Daitoku-ji sub-temple with one of Japan's most-cited karesansui rock gardens.

A 1509 sub-temple of Daitoku-ji, attributed to founder Kogaku Soko, holding one of Japan's most-cited karesansui rock gardens. The garden tells a riverine narrative in stone: the source spring at the northeast corner becomes a stream that flows around the abbot's quarters and out to a 'sea' of raked gravel at the south. The garden is meant to be read clockwise starting from the northeast side.

Local tips

Photography prohibited inside the garden viewing rooms but permitted from the entrance walk. The abbot or a designated monk gives short talks (in Japanese) on the garden's symbolism most days.

Practical info

Japanese name: 大仙院

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