Daitoku-ji

Daitoku-ji is the head temple of the Daitoku-ji branch of Rinzai Zen Buddhism, founded in 1319 by the monk Shuho Myocho (Daito Kokushi) and later expanded under the patronage of the warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The sprawling 23-hectare complex contains over 20 sub-temples, many of which feature masterful karesansui dry landscape gardens that rank among the finest in Japan. Notable sub-temples open to the public include Daisen-in, whose compact stone garden is considered a pinnacle of Zen garden art, and Zuiho-in with its modernist garden incorporating a hidden Christian cross design. The temple has deep connections to the Japanese tea ceremony through the tea master Sen no Rikyu, whose gate at the complex became the subject of a famous dispute leading to his forced suicide. While the main temple grounds are free to enter, individual sub-temples charge separate admission fees and rotate their openings throughout the year.