Daitoku-ji Temple, Buddhist temple in Kita-ku, Kyoto, Japan

Daitoku-ji is a Buddhist temple complex in Kita-ku, Kyoto, consisting of a main temple and over twenty independent sub-temples spread across an extensive compound. The buildings are arranged along a central axis and include several halls designated as National Treasures, as well as numerous gardens in different styles.

Shūhō Myōchō built a small hall, Daitoku-an, in Murasakino in 1315 or 1319; Emperor Hanazono's 1325 decree made it an imperial prayer temple, and Emperor Go-Daigo ranked it above the Five Mountains in 1334. After fires in 1453 and the Ōnin War, Ikkyū Sōjun restored it with Sakai merchants' support. In 1582 Toyotomi Hideyoshi held Oda Nobunaga's funeral here and founded Sōken-in the next year.

The complex served as a center for the Rinzai Zen tradition and shaped Japanese tea ceremony culture over centuries. Many sub-temples preserve old tea houses and gardens designed according to the principles of this meditative practice.

The main temple opens to visitors only during special occasions, while some sub-temples are accessible year-round or seasonally. It is best to inquire in advance with individual sub-temples about opening times and viewing arrangements.

The Sanmon gate, completed by Sen no Rikyū in 1589, carries a wooden statue of Rikyū wearing snow sandals on its upper storey, so anyone passing beneath walks under his feet. This is widely said to have angered Toyotomi Hideyoshi and contributed to Rikyū's forced suicide.