Shinju-an Garden (Daitoku-ji)
This season's opening
Shinju-an: Shuhei Hasado Exhibition (Limited Opening)
- Hours
- Oct 2, 3 and 4 only: timed guided tours at 11:00–12:30 and 13:30–15:00; check-in from 15 minutes before. The exhibition began Sep 5; these are the only October dates.
- Admission
- ¥3,000 including the guided tour
- Booking
- Booking advisedBuy online (hasadosyuhei-shinju.stores.jp); max 25 per tour. Walk-in tickets (cash) only if space remains. Availability not checked.
A guided visit to plaster artist Shuhei Hasado's exhibition inside the normally closed Shinju-an. The announcement covers the exhibition only; how much of the 7-5-3 garden, study hall and tea room you will see is not stated.
Allow about five minutes from Daitoku-ji's main gate. On these dates Juko-in is open, and Korin-in on Oct 3–4; Obai-in and Soken-in have not started yet.
About the garden
The sub-temple of Ikkyu, the famously irreverent Zen monk. The east garden of the abbot's hall, the 7-5-3 garden, sets its stones in groups of seven, five and three and is attributed to the tea pioneer Murata Juko. In 2026 it opens on only a few days, as the venue for an exhibition by the plaster artist Shuhei Hasado.
Where to stand
On the east side of the abbot's hall, count the stones from the left and look for the 7, 5 and 3 groups; where you draw the lines is up to you, so count separately and compare. The Tsusen-in study hall and the Teigyoku-ken tea room, known for bringing part of its garden path indoors, are Important Cultural Properties. The 2026 visit is a guided tour, and the route through rooms and gardens has not been published.
Practical notes
In October 2026 the temple opens only on Oct 2, 3 and 4, for timed guided tours (11:00 and 13:30, max 25, ¥3,000). Buy tickets on the exhibition's online store; walk-ins are cash only and sold 15 minutes before each tour if space remains. Allow about five minutes to walk from Daitoku-ji's main gate.
Tea and food nearby
Small places within walking distance. Check their opening days against the garden's.
- 3 min walkfrom Obai-in Gardens (Daitoku-ji)🍽 FoodIzusen Daiji-in (temple cuisine)
Buddhist vegetarian cooking served in a sub-temple inside the Daitoku-ji precinct, so lunch happens without leaving the temple grounds.
Order：The lightest course (Ayame, ¥4,500) is plenty
- 5 min walkfrom Korin-in Hojo Garden (Daitoku-ji)☕ CafeKoro-an Chaho (tea house)
A tatami tea room serving Uji tea from its own fields. You whisk your own matcha or brew sencha, which makes it easy to talk after a silent morning of gardens.
Order：The make-your-own matcha set
- 11 min walkfrom Obai-in Gardens (Daitoku-ji)☕ CafeKissa Hisui (Showa-era coffee house)
A 100-seat coffee house open since 1961 at the Kitaoji-Horikawa corner: roomy enough to sit and plan the rest of the day after two or three temples.