Join/
Tofuku-Ji Temple
Tōfukuji temple
This temple was intended to compete with Nara’s Todai-ji and Kofuku-ji (hence the name.) It is considered one of Kyoto’s main Zen temples. The huge San-mon gate is the oldest Zen main gate in Japan. The present complex includes twenty-four sub-temples (at one time there were fifty-three). The gardens are wonderful, and to reach them, you cross a stream over the Tsuten-kyo-bridge (Bridge to Heaven). In the fall, the grounds are famous for their foliage. The northern garden has stone and moss in a checker-board pattern.
Written by Christiane Deiters
What's Nearby
More Inspiration
Kyoto Insider Spotlight: Avi Lugasi
Longtime Kyoto resident, former Zen monk and co-founder of the Dento foundation Avi Lugasi shares his unique perspective on Japan.
Kyoto Insider Spotlight: Sara Aiko
Travel tastemaker Sarai Aiko shares her favorite galleries, restaurants and places to explore in her home city of Kyoto.
The Spaces Between: Explorations Along the Tokaido Corridor
Japan is once again one of the world’s top travel destinations. After scouting in Tokyo and Kyoto, Senior Editor Elizabeth Harvey reports.
23 Trips of a Lifetime to Plan this Year
These are the destinations we love most for sensational journeys, from the silent steppes of Mongolia to the cosmopolitan bustle of Mexico City.