Jun. 30, 2023 UPDATE
Daitoku-ji Oubai-in Temple Special Opening Event - 大徳寺 黄梅院 特別公開 -
Traveler Friendly
English pamphlets are available. Please reference the English on their website.
Information
English pamphlets available
Languages spoken
Simple English only
PeriodOctober 7th, 2023 - December 3rd, 2023 ※Closed days: October 28th (Sat.) ※There is a possibility that the number of days when the temple is closed may increase depending on the circumstances of the temple.
VenueDaitoku-ji Oubai-in
2723 14 --- 0 reviews
Jun. 30, 2023 UPDATE

Daitoku-ji Oubai-in Temple Special Opening Event

- 大徳寺 黄梅院 特別公開 -
Traveler Friendly
English pamphlets are available. Please reference the English on their website.
Information
English pamphlets available
Languages spoken
Simple English only
2723 14 --- 0 reviews
PeriodOctober 7th, 2023 - December 3rd, 2023 ※Closed days: October 28th (Sat.) ※There is a possibility that the number of days when the temple is closed may increase depending on the circumstances of the temple.
VenueDaitoku-ji Oubai-in
Story & Recommendation
A moment of calm at a Zen temple deeply linked to the Sengoku warlords
The usually closed Daitoku-ji Oubai-in Temple will hold a special opening this autumn! Oubai-in is a sub-temple of Daitoku-ji, the main temple of the Daitoku-ji faction of the Rinzai sect of Buddhism. When Oda Nobunaga, a warlord active during the Sengoku period, visited Kyoto for the first time, he began building a small hermitage, called "Oubai-an" for his father. After the death of Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a retainer of the Nobunaga family, gradually expanded the hermitage and made it into the “Oubai-in” temple. At this special opening, the “Jikichutei” garden created by the tea master, Sen no Rikyū, who was active at the same time as Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and the oldest existing Kuri (monk's living quarters and kitchen) of all Zen temples, will be open to the public.
1Highlight
Sen no Rikyū’s “Jikichutei” Garden
Sen no Rikyū’s “Jikichutei” Garden
The Jikichutei garden was created by Sen no Rikyū, who was responsible for the establishment and spreading of tea ceremonies in Japan. The moss-covered garden may not have the most vibrant atmosphere to it, but it has elegance and charm. Rikyū taught "Spend the winter warm and the summer cool”, meaning “Cherish the feeling of the seasons”, and "Plant flowers as they are in the fields”, meaning “respect life”, as methods and preparation for tea ceremonies. You can feel the spirit of Rikyū in this garden with its beautiful, well-maintained moss and seasonal plants. When viewing the garden, we recommend you take your time taking it in from various places and angles. Please enjoy the way the impression of the garden changes little by little depending on where and how you view it.
2Highlight
Kuri (monk's living quarters and kitchen)
Kuri (monk's living quarters and kitchen)
The Kuri is one of the buildings in a Buddhist temple and serves as the monks’ living quarters and kitchen. Also, this is the oldest standing Zen Buddhist Kuri in Japan, and is a designated important cultural site. Currently, it goes unused, but it is deeply moving to think that monks actually used and lived in this space in the past. You might be able to enjoy it even more if you think of the way they might have lived when you visit this space.
- Manner & Tips -

・Excluding the Zentei front garden, photography is prohibited in the temple precinct.


・For the restroom, please use the one located in the Daitoku-ji car park.


・There is no wheelchair access due to the structure of the buildings. 


・For those who utilize a cane to walk, the temple provides cane covers for you.


・Please always follow the staff’s instructions while inside the temple precinct. 

If it judged you are interfering with the viewing of the temple, they will ask you to leave upon returning the admission fee. 


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