Daitoku-ji Temple

Daitoku-ji Temple is the head temple of the Rinzai-Obaku sect of Zen Buddhism. The story of this temple begins in the early Kamakura period when it was built by Myocho Shuho. It was sponsored by the Hanazono and Go-Daigo Emperors and ranked at the head of a list of the Kyoto Five Mountain monasteries. This allowed it to transform into a large temple. However, during the Muromachi Period, it left this list. Many buildings were lost during the Onin War, but were rebuilt thanks to the quick-witted Ikkyu Sojun. Of the 22 temples available, four are regularly available for visits, and guests can learn about tea ceremonies and the history of the temples there. One famous story about the temple involves Sen no Rikyu, who installed a statue of himself in the temple, but was ordered to commit suicide by Hideyoshi Toyotomi.