Kyoto has many temples and shrines, and the famous ones are flooded with tourists. So, if you want to enjoy your time in Kyoto’s city center, cherry-picking the temples to visit is essential. Daikaku-ji (大覚寺) is a temple that we recommend stopping by, especially during the plum and cherry blossom season. The precinct is also stunning during the autumn foliage in November.
Table of Contents
- About Daikaku-ji
- What to See at Daikaku-ji
- Daikaku-ji’s Garden
- Daikaku-ji’s Four Seasons
- Daikaku-ji’s Opening Hours, Admission Fee, and Access Information
About Daikaku-ji
Daikaku-ji was initially built for Emperor Saga (嵯峨天皇) as a residence after he abdicated. In 876, the villa was turned into a Monseki temple by Emperor Saga’s daughter, Princess Seishi (正子内親王), and named Daikaku-ji. The first chief of the temple was Emperor Saga’s grandson, Tsunesada (恒貞).
Like other Monseki temples in Japan, the chief priests were members of the imperial families, including the emperors who had abdicated their thrones. In fact, the temple was where the retired emperors managed the politics, which caused conflicts within the imperial family. The temple was later devastated in Ōnin War (応仁の乱) in 1467.
Fortunately, Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi offered land for Daikaku-ji to be rebuilt during the Azuchi–Momoyama period in the late 16th century. Tokugawa Ieyasu continued to support the temple in the Edo period.
What to See at Daikaku-ji
Daikaku-ji is a designated National Historic Site. The four-legged gate with a real tiled roof completed in the early Edo period is Daikaku-ji’s front gate. Saga chrysanthemums are planted along the approach from the gate. In November, a Saga Chrysanthemum Exhibition is held at Daikaku-ji.
In the temple’s Matsu no Ma Room (松の間), you will find a portable shrine that was used by Emperor Go-Uda (後宇多法皇). The splendidly painted Pine and Mountain painting (松に山鳥図) painted by Kanō Eitoku (狩野永徳) is another highlight in the room. More sliding door paintings by the Kanō school painters can be found in the Shinden Hall, used by Tokugawa Masako (德川和子), an empress consort and Tokugawa Ieyasu’s granddaughter. The Shinden Hall’s front garden has a similar setting as Kyoto Imperial Palace’s Shinden. The garden that is covered by white sand has an orange on the right (右近の橘) and a plum on the left (左近の梅).
The corridor from Shinden to the rooms further back is called Murasame Corridor (村雨の廊下). The ceiling is low so that swords and spears cannot be used freely. Instead of a straight passageway, the corridor makes many right-angled turns to slow down intruders to travel from one building to another.
Mieidō (御影堂)/ Shingyōzenden (心経前殿)
The Mieidō, also called Shingyōzenden, was built for the accession of Emperor Taishō (大正天皇) to the throne in the early 20th century and relocated to Daikoku-ji in 1915. Statues of Emperor Saga, the founder of Mt. Kōya, Kōbō Daishi (弘法大師), and other emperors related to the temple are placed in the hall.
In 818, when an epidemic spread in the country, Emperor Saga copied the Heart Sutra based on Kōbō Daishi’s suggestion. The epidemic subsided immediately. The sutra that Emperor Saga copied, along with the Heart Sutra handwritten by successive emperors, is still stored in Shingyōzenden here and is shown to the public once every 60 years.
The Main Worship Hall: Godaidō (五大堂)
Godaidō, southeast of Mieidō, is Daikaku-ji’s main worship hall. It is said that Emperor Saga originally built it to pray for peace and prosperity for the country and a rich harvest. The current Godaidō was restored in the 1580s and had an Acala, or the Immovable Wisdom King (不動明王), enshrined as the main image. The extended open veranda attached to the worship hall is called the Kangetsudai (観月台), or the Moon-Viewing Platform in English. It is the best spot to adore the scenery of the Ōsawa Pond (大沢池) and admire the full moon.
Northwest of Shinden is the Shōshinden (正寝殿), completed in the late 16th century. It is where you can adore the sliding door paintings by Kanō Sanraku (狩野山楽). His Peony and Red Plum paintings are also worth checking out. Both paintings have been designated as important cultural properties in Japan. Moreover, the hares in the Hare Painting (野兎図) by Watanabe Shikō (渡辺始興) are just gorgeous.
Daikaku-ji’s Garden
Exiting the building and following the visitor route, you will arrive at Japan’s oldest artificial water strolling garden. The Ōsawa Pond (大沢池) was created by Emperor Saga modeling the Dongting Lake (洞庭湖) in China. Approximately 700 cherry blossoms and maple trees are planted. The garden was designated as one of Japan’s National Places of Scenery Beauty in 1922.
At the beginning of the Heian period, Emperor Saga used the chrysanthemums he handpicked from the small Kikugashima (菊ヶ島) artificial island in Ōsawa Pond for flower arrangement. It is said that the way he arranged the flowers at Daigaku-ji is the starting point of Sagago-ryū School (嵯峨御流).
Tip: Tea ceremonies are held at the teahouse, Bōntei (望雲亭), at the side of Ōsawa Pond on the 3rd Sunday of every other month from 9 am to 2:30 pm. The cost is 1,500 yen (2,500 yen in May and November). Refer to the Official Website and translate it into English using your browser’s translation function for more information.
Daikaku-ji’s Four Seasons
North of Ōsawa Pond is Daikaku-ji’s plum grove. Around 150 plums (mostly white plums) usually reach full bloom between early to mid-March.
At the banks of Ōsawa Pond, around 500 cherry blossoms bloom between late March and early April. The cherry blossoms’ reflection on the pond’s surface makes the view even more beautiful.
- The waterlilies in the Ōsawa Pond bloom from mid-May to late July.
- The temple’s fall foliage season is between mid-November to early December.
- The Ōsawa Pond Light-up (大沢池ライトアップ) takes place from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm from the 15th of November to the 1st of December in 2024.
- The last admission is at 8 pm.
- The Ōsawa Pond Light-up (大沢池ライトアップ) takes place from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm from the 15th of November to the 1st of December in 2024.
Daikaku-ji’s Opening Hours, Admission Fee, and Access Information
- Daikaku-ji is open from 9 am to 5 pm.
- The last admission is at 4:30 pm.
- The admission fee is
- 500 yen for the worship halls and 300 yen for the garden for adults
- 300 yen for the worship halls and 100 yen for the garden for elementary school and high school students
- Daikaku-ji is a 20-minute walk from JR Saga Arashiyama Station (嵯峨嵐山駅).
- You can also take Kyoto City Bus Route 28 from Kyoto Station and get off at Daikaku-ji.
- Use one of Japan’s Transport Apps to plan your visit.
Discover Other Plum Blossom Spots in Kyoto
Regardless the overtourism problem, Kyoto is undoubtably Japan’s most popular tourist destination. If you plan to visit Kyoto in early spring, there are several spots for you to add to your itinerary to enjoy the seasonal flower, plum blossoms! While the view created by the plum flowers may be less awe-inspiring than the cherry blossoms due to the volumes, the elegant fragrance will make your visit more pleasant.
For more information, refer to our article on The Plum Blossom Spots in Kyoto!
