Kohō-an, Buddhist temple at Daitoku-ji complex in Kita-ku, Japan
Kohō-an is a temple within the Daitoku-ji compound featuring three tea rooms—Wakutsuan, Jōin-no-ma, and San'un-dō—arranged around traditional Japanese gardens. These gardens display geometric patterns and design principles that connect the buildings to their natural surroundings through carefully planned layouts.
The temple was founded in 1612 by tea master Kobori Enshū as an expression of artistic ideals of the early Edo period. Following a major fire in 1793, it was restored with support from regional lords, preserving its original vision.
The tea rooms and gardens serve as spaces where refined Japanese aesthetics meet daily practice and contemplation. Walking through them, you sense how carefully every element—from plant placement to room proportions—shapes the experience of quiet beauty.
The temple sits in northern Kyoto near Bukkyō University and can be reached on foot from main streets in the area. Visitor access is typically limited to special exhibition periods, so checking availability ahead of your visit helps avoid disappointment.
The gardens are designed to frame views of Mount Funaoka in the background using trimmed shrubs and stone placements as intentional viewpoints. This technique shows how the landscape itself becomes part of the composition, with nothing left to chance in how visitors experience the surroundings.
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