Tofuku-ji Temple “Œ•ŸŽ›
Tofuku-ji is the head temple of the Tofukuji branch of Rinzai Zen Buddhism. It was founded in 1236 by priest Enni on the instructions of statesman Kujo Michiie.
The temple's name is an association of Nara's two main temples, the Todai-ji (東大寺) and Kofuku-ji (興福寺).
Tofuku-ji is one of the so-called Kyoto Gozan (京都五山) or "five great Zen temples of Kyoto", along with the Tenryuji (天龍寺), Shokokuji (相国寺), Kenninji (建仁寺), and Manjuji (満寿寺), with Nanzenji (南禅寺) presiding as the head temple.
Tofuku-ji was destroyed by fires in 1319, 1334 and 1336, and other buildings were reconstructed more recently, like the Abbot's Hall (Hojo) in 1890.
The colossal 22m high San-mon Gate is the largest Zen temple gate in Japan. It was built in 1425 and entirely disassembled, repaired and reconstructed from 1969 to 1978 at the cost of 2,5 million dollar.
Walking around the complex of Tofuku-ji is free, although the gardens and Tsuten-kyo (通天橋 "Bridge to Heaven") require an entrance fee. The beautiful zen gardens are definitely worth the ￥300 admission. The bridge is especially nice in autumn when the momiji maples leaves turn red and yellow. Note that two other nearby bridges can be crossed for free. The first one is where most visitors come from, but the entrance to the second is hidden behind the Abbot's Hall.
How to get there
Bus 208 from Kyoto station stops at Tofukuji-mae. From there it is a five-minute walk to reach San-mon Gate and the Abbot's Hall. Try to follow other tourists as it is easy to get lost in the small alleys among minor temples of the Tofukuji complex.
Tofuku-ji can also be accessed by train, on the JR Nara line from Kyoto station (1 stop), or the Keihan line from Sanjo station (3 stops).
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