Daitoku-ji – The Great Temple of Tea and Zen in Murasakino

Daitoku-ji was founded in 1315 with Daitō Kokushi (Shūhō Myōchō) as its founding abbot, under the mountain name Ryūhōzan. Devastated in the Ōnin War, it was restored by the monk Ikkyū. In the Momoyama period Toyotomi Hideyoshi built the sub-temple Sōken-in to pray for Oda Nobunaga. The Kinmōkaku gate's first storey was completed in 1526 and Sen no Rikyū added the second storey in 1589. The imperial messenger gate was granted from the Imperial Palace in 1640, and the Buddha hall and lecture hall were rebuilt in the early Edo period. Two branch temples and 22 sub-temples remain today.

With Ikkyū as abbot and ties to Sen no Rikyū and many tea masters and warlords, Daitoku-ji is called "the temple of tea". Walk the stone-paved paths and sub-temples behind white walls and earthen walls appear one after another, wrapped in quiet Zen air.

Many sub-temples are normally closed. Jukō-in, closely linked to the three Senke tea schools, is known for fusuma paintings by Kanō Eitoku; Shinju-an, associated with Ikkyū, is known for its "7-5-3" garden east of the abbot's hall. These can sometimes be seen only during special spring or autumn openings.

Others, such as Daisen-in, Ryōgen-in and Zuihō-in, are open regularly (Kōtō-in is currently closed), each with its own dry landscape garden. Spend a relaxed half day visiting a few of them.

Daiji-in, one of the sub-temples, was founded in 1585 by Oda Nobunaga's elder sister Anyō-in, Ōtomo Sōrin's elder sister Kenshō-in and others, and the National Treasure Karamon gate of the main temple is said to have originally been Daiji-in's gate. Daiji-in holds gentle "yuru zazen" meditation sessions with explanations by the resident priest, open to anyone, so you can experience a Zen morning on your trip.