Soken-in (Daitoku-ji)
This season's opening
Soken-in Autumn Special Opening
- Hours
- 10:00–16:00 last entry. Entry from 11:30 on Oct 19 and Nov 1. Closed Nov 4, 5, 21, 22 (more closures possible).
- Admission
- ¥800; ¥400 junior/senior high; free for younger children with a guardian
- Booking
- No bookingNo booking for individuals; groups of 10+ must book.
The normally closed temple shows its main hall with the life-size statue of Oda Nobunaga (Important Cultural Property), the Oda family graves and three tea rooms, plus the original gate, double wall and a 400-year-old camellia.
No photos inside the main hall. Daitoku-ji's other openings (Obai-in, Korin-in, Juko-in) are minutes away; half a day covers several.
About the garden
Hideyoshi built this temple to mourn Oda Nobunaga after the Honno-ji incident. A life-size seated statue of Nobunaga fills the main hall, and the grounds hold the Oda family graves and a roughly 400-year-old wabisuke camellia. Come for the enclosure and its history rather than for a designed garden.
Where to stand
The gate and earthen walls date from the founding in 1583. The wall is a rare double type, an inner wall built inside the outer one, so turn round after the gate and look at its thickness. Seven graves of the Oda family, including Nobunaga's wife Nohime, stand in the cemetery. The camellia is said to have been Rikyu's gift to Hideyoshi; with three tea rooms on the grounds, the temple's tea side comes through.
Practical notes
No photos inside the main hall. Autumn 2026 runs Oct 10–Nov 30, 10:00–16:00 last entry, ¥800; closed Nov 4, 5, 21, 22, and entry starts at 11:30 on Oct 19 and Nov 1. Pair it with Obai-in and Korin-in, all within the same precinct.
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.