Hourai Garden, Daichiji Temple

It is said that the temple was founded 1,300 years ago in the Nara period, Bodhisattva Gyoki, who created four ponds in the shape of a “心 (heart)” and built the main hall in the center, enshrining a statue of Shakanyoraizo (Buddha) created by Gyoki. It was originally the Tendai sect of Buddhism, but it switched to the Zen sect in the Kamakura period. The temple buildings were destroyed by fire during the Warring States period, but only the statue of Shakanyoraizo miraculously survived.

The temple was rebuilt through the efforts of Zen master Joganjikozenshi and renamed “Daichiji” during the Edo period. The temple’s main hall, which was rebuilt during the Edo period, can still be seen in nearly its original state.

One of the highlights of this temple is the Horai Garden, a Karesansui-style garden created by Kobori Enshu, a famous tea master, architect, and landscape gardener during the early Edo period. The garden shimmers with azaleas from late May to mid-June, summer with its lush greenery, autumn with its flaming reds, and winter with its purplish brown color. There is a Suikinkutsu, one of the techniques used in Japanese gardens, and you can enjoy the lovely, soothing sound.