Home to a spectacular garden, several superb structures and beautiful precincts, Tōfuku-ji is one of the finest temples in Kyoto. It's well worth a special visit and can easily be paired with a trip to Fushimi Inari-Taisha (the two are linked by the Keihan train line).
Founded in 1236 by the priest Enni, Tōfuku-ji belongs to the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism. As this temple was intended to compare with Tōdai-ji and Kōfuku-ji in Nara, it was given a name combining characters from the names of each of these temples.
The present temple complex includes 24 subtemples; at one time there were 53. The huge San-mon is the oldest Zen main gate in Japan. The Hōjō (Abbot’s Hall) was reconstructed in 1890. The gardens, laid out in 1938, are well worth a visit. The northern garden has stones and moss neatly arranged in a chequerboard pattern. From a viewing platform at the back of the gardens, you can observe the Tsūten-kyō (Bridge to Heaven), which spans a valley filled with maples.
Tōfuku-ji offers regular Zen meditation sessions for beginners, but don’t expect coddling or English-language explanations: this is the real deal. Get a Japanese speaker to inquire at the temple about the next session (it holds about four a month for beginners).
Note that Tōfuku-ji is one of Kyoto’s most famous autumn foliage spots, and it is invariably packed during the peak of colours in November. Otherwise, it’s often very quiet.
