Jan 12, 2014 - 1 min read

Kyoto's Tofuku-ji Temple

This Zen temple impresses with both scale and beauty

By Larry Knipfing

Community writer

Sammon Gate is huge, but beautiful at the same time

There are many beautiful combinations here of dark tiled roofs and lovely red maple

While here, don't miss the unique garden

A visitor enjoying a different part of the garden

Reflection of the gate in lotus pond. Come in late July-early August to see these beautiful lotus in full bloom

A delicate and extremely beautiful basin in front of the monument

Notice

Jorakuan Guest Hall (Fumon-in) and Tojiryo (Shoin), next to Kaisando Hall, are undergoing preservation/repair work until October 2025.

Latest on Tofukuji Temple

Kyoto's Tofuku-ji Temple combines size and beauty in ways that are hard to find in other areas of Japan. First, there is the impressive Sammon Gate, a National Treasure, and the oldest of its kind in Japan. If you want to take a photo of the entire gate, be prepared to step way back - it's just so massive. Yet, it is delicate and beautiful at the same time. This temple is the head temple of the Tofukuji School of the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism and has a very long history, going all the way back to 1236. While here, also enjoy the fairly new and delightfully unique Hojo Garden, laid out in 1939.