Daitoku-ji

A sprawling 14th-century Zen temple complex in Kyoto — celebrated for its dry gardens and its deep connection to Japanese tea culture.

Daitoku-ji is a sprawling Zen temple complex in the Kita district of Kyoto, founded in 1315 and one of the principal temples of the Rinzai school. The complex contains more than twenty sub-temples, several of which house some of the finest dry gardens (karesansui) in Japan — stone meditation landscapes that invite silence and contemplation. Daitoku-ji was closely linked to Japanese tea culture: Sen no Rikyū, the most influential tea master in Japanese history, lived and worked here. Many sub-temples are only open at certain times, lending each visit a special quality. A site that unites tranquility, aesthetics and depth.