Obai-in, a Tea Master's Garden in Kyoto

Ōbai-in in Daitoku-ji（黄梅院）

Ōbai-in is one of the secret sub-temples of Daitoku-ji and has one of Japan's best-designed garden. It is only open for a few weeks in November, which is also the best time for visiting.

The temple was founded in 1562 as Ōbai-an (黄梅庵). Tea master and garden designer Sen no Rikyu (at that time 62 years old) is said to have designed the moss-covered garden. It features a Sanzonseki (stone arrangement in form of a Buddhist triad) and a small pond in the shape of a gourd. There is also an unusually shaped lantern brought by daimyo Kato Kiyomasa from his infamous campaign against Korea.

The Kuri is one of the oldest in Japan, and the paintings on the sliding doors ("Seven sages of the bamboo grove", painted by Unkoku Togan) have survived from the 16th century until today.

Sen no Rikyu is said to have conducted tea ceremonies in one of the tea rooms of the Shoin (study) called Sakumuken (The dream of last night).

If you have a chance to visit this temple in November, make every effort to do so as it has one of the most beautiful gardens in Japan. 

Contents of the book

Introduction

Daitoku-ji

History of Ōbai-in

Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi

Buildings

Hondō

(Fusuma-e)

Shoin

Kuri

Shōro

Kōshin-in

Graves

Teahouses

Fudo-ken

Sakumu-ken

Kōshun-an

Isshi-an

Gates

Karamon

Omotemon

Gardens

Entry garden

Sabutsu-tei

Kanza-tei

Jikichu-tei

Hatō-tei

Recommendations around Zuihōin

How to get there

12 pages

19 pictures of the temple and gardens

10MB

The eBook is delivered as PDF.