Danrin-ji, Buddhist temple in Ukyō-ku, Japan

Danrin-ji is a Buddhist temple located in the western foothills of Kyoto, situated at the edge of mountainous terrain. The grounds now form part of the larger Tenryū-ji complex and feature the traditional layout of a substantial temple site.

The temple was founded during the Jōwa era and was among the first Zen temples in Japan before a fire destroyed it in 928. Following this destruction, the site underwent transformations that eventually led to the establishment of a major temple complex.

The temple served as a center for Buddhist nunneries during the Muromachi period and shaped religious life in the Kyoto region. Visitors can sense this legacy reflected in how the space is organized and maintained today.

The site is accessible to visitors as part of a larger temple complex in western Kyoto's neighborhoods. Wear comfortable walking shoes, as you will navigate different levels and paths across the grounds.

A stone pillar beside the road just south of Nonomiya Shrine, in the Arashiyama bamboo grove, marks the site of the original Danrin-ji. The temple itself vanished by the mid-Heian period, around the reign of Emperor Ichijō, and the poet Akazome Emon wrote a verse lamenting its decay after hearing its bell said to sound from underground.