Daisen-In Temple

Daisen-in is a sub-temple (tatchū) within the Daitoku-ji Zen temple complex in Kita Ward, Kyoto. It is the head temple of the Daitoku-ji northern lineage, founded in 1509 by Kogaku Sōkō (also known as Daisei Kokushi). The seventh head priest was Takuan Sōhō. Its renowned karesansui (dry landscape) garden—designated a Special Place of Scenic Beauty by the Japanese government—is said to have been created by Kogaku Sōkō and unfolds around the hōjō (abbot’s quarters). In the north corner beside the earthen wall are stones associated with Fudō Myōō and Kannon, along with Hōrai Mountain expressed through clipped shrubs and meticulously raked white gravel symbolizing a waterfall. The "flow" continues as gravel, crossing a stone bridge into a "great river" and finally reaching the "ocean." The sliding-door paintings in the hōjō are masterpieces from the Muromachi period, including landscape paintings attributed to Sōami (also exhibited at the Louvre), as well as bird-and-flower paintings by Kanō Motonobu and "Four Seasons Farming Scenes" by Kanō Yūshin—many designated as Important Cultural Properties. Daisen-in is also closely connected to Sen no Rikyū; the Shoin-no-ma, a tea-room space associated with Rikyū and Toyotomi Hideyoshi, is another highlight. From the city bus stop "Daitokuji-mae," it is about a 6-minute walk: enter through Daitoku-ji’s main gate, turn left, and proceed toward the back near the main precinct.