Daitoku-ji

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Gate at Daitokuji

Daitokuji redirects here. For the Yu-Gi-Oh! GX (Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters GX) character, see Lyman Banner

Daitoku-ji (大徳寺) is a Rinzai Buddhist temple located in Kyoto, Japan. The temple complex has the mountain-name Ryuhō-zan (龍宝山), literally meaning "dragon treasure mountain." It was established in 1319 by Shūhōmyōchō (宗峰妙超) who is also called Daitō Kokushi (大燈国師).

Daitoku-ji was frequented by Emperor Go-Daigo and was counted as one of the five sacred mountains (temples). But after the Ashikaga shogunate was established, it was removed from the list and the shogunate chose to ignore it in favor of other temples that had not openly opposed them. It then decided to stay away from meddling in politics and to focus on Buddhist teachings through Zen practices. During the Ōnin War, some of its temples were burned down and it was subsequently rebuilt by rich merchants of Sakai. After the Ashikaga shogunate fell, many daimyo donated and supported Daitoku-ji.

Many of Daitoku-ji's temples were constructed before and early Edo period. The karamon (唐門) of Daitoku-ji is believed to be a remnant of Toyotomi Hideyoshi's richly decorated palace, Jurakudai (聚楽第) and is a national treasure of Japan. The first of three gates was constructed in 1526. The temple has such national treasures as Kannon Enkaku-zu (観音猿鶴図) and Daitō Kokushi Gazo (大燈国師画像). There are also six temples constructed by various daimyo and patrons.

Ōbai-in (黄梅院) - Constructed by Kobayakawa Takakage
Shinj-uan (真珠庵) - Believed to be constructed by Ikkyu. The garden by Murata Tamamitsu and wall paintings by Soga Dasoku and Hasegawa Tohaku
Daisen-in (大仙院) - The main temple is a national treasure. Also with a rock garden
Jukō-in (聚光院) - The wall painting by Kano Eitoku
Ryōkō-in (龍光院) - Constructed by Kuroda Nagamasa. The tea room Mittan (密庵) is widely known
Kohō-an (孤篷庵) - Constructed by Kobori Enshu. The tea room Bōsen (忘筌) is widely known

Ikkyu and Sen no Rikyu are two of the many famous people who had been influenced by Daitoku-ji. A rumor has it that Sen no Rikyu completed two of Daitoku-ji's three gates in 1589 and this was his undoing. It is said that he chose to have a statue of himself in the chamber at the top of the second gate. Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who also frequented Daitoku-ji, realized that he and everyone else who pass through the gate to enter will be looked down on by the statue. He commanded that the offending statue be removed and ordered Sen no Rikyu to commit seppuku. While it is true that Sen no Rikyu did commit seppuku, the reason for it is not known.

Imperial emissary gate (Chokushi-mon)	Garden of the Cross at Zuihō-in	Zuiho-tei, a garden at Zuiho-in, Daitoku-ji	Go board used by Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu at Ryogen-in, Daitoku-ji
Daisen-in	Hattō