[Kyoto Stroll] Healed by light and sound. Limited-time night event 'ZEN NIGHT Tofuku-ji' 2026 [Late July]

|Tofuku-ji| Station

👣10-minute walk

|Tofuku-ji|

Located in Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, it was built over a period of 19 years from 1236 (the 2nd year of |Katei|) to 1255 (the 7th year of |Kencho|), at the request of the then-regent, Kujo Michiie.

The name Tofuku-ji was derived by taking one character each from the names of Nara's two largest temples, '|Todai-ji|' and '|Kofuku-ji|'. From the Muromachi period onwards, it came to be counted as one of the

'Kyoto Gozan' (Five Mountains of Kyoto), and flourished greatly under the protection of figures such as Ashikaga Yoshimochi, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu.

* 'Kyoto Gozan'
Refers to the five prestigious Rinzai Zen temples designated by Ashikaga Yoshimitsu during the Muromachi period to strictly manage and protect the Zen sect of Buddhism.

Special rank: Nanzen-ji (Sakyo Ward)
Tenryu-ji (Ukyo Ward), Shokoku-ji (Kamigyo Ward), Kennin-ji (Higashiyama Ward), Tofuku-ji (Higashiyama Ward), Manju-ji (Shimogyo Ward)

Special Night Viewing Event
'ZEN NIGHT Tofuku-ji'

An immersive experience event set in a historic Zen temple, where you can experience 'aligning your brain and heart' through sound, light, nature, silence, and nature based on neuroscience.

It was held at Kennin-ji in Kyoto in 2024 and Kencho-ji in Kamakura in 2025, attracting a total of approximately 50,000 visitors.

👣After checking in, head to the Zazen experience

Zendo (Zen Meditation Hall) [Important Cultural Property]

◾️Sound Zazen 'Neuromusic Zazen'

An experiential meditation space where you wear an EEG headset while practicing Zazen, allowing your brain state to be visualized in real-time as sound and imagery. Amidst the silence woven by digital patterns and brainwave sounds, you can face yourself and enjoy deep relaxation.

Rebuilt in 1347 (the 3rd year of the Jowa era) during the Northern and Southern Courts period, it is the largest and oldest existing Zazen dojo in Japan.

A historic building where about 400 monks once lived together, it is usually closed to the public but hosts Zazen sessions and other events on Sunday mornings from 6:30 AM for 30 minutes.

Sanmon Gate [National Treasure]

Built in 1425 (the 32nd year of the Oei era) during the Muromachi period by the fourth shogun, Ashikaga Yoshimochi, it is the oldest and largest scale Zen temple gate. The ceiling and pillars inside are decorated with vivid paintings by the Muromachi-period Zen monk Mincho and his disciples, and many Buddhist statues are lined up. The interior is usually closed to the public, but during special openings (March 14–16), you can climb the gate and overlook the southern part of Kyoto from the upper floor.

Hondo (Main Hall) (also serves as the Buddha Hall and Hatto/Dharma Hall)

Although usually closed to the public, the principal image of the 'Standing Statue of Shakyamuni Buddha' and the giant 'Blue Dragon Painting' are specially opened to the public.

At the time of its founding, a statue of Shakyamuni Buddha approximately 15m tall was enshrined in the Hatto, but it was lost in a fire in 1881 (the 14th year of the Meiji era) along with the Hatto and the Buddha Hall. Reconstruction work began in 1917 (the 6th year of the Taisho era), and it was rebuilt to its current form in 1934 (the 9th year of the Showa era).

Hojo Garden

◾️Hakkai 'Dance of the Wind Dragon'

In a space where you can feel the fantastical mist, light, and flow of the wind, the sounds of water and neuro-music overlap quietly, allowing you to experience silence and harmony.

Gardens were created on the north, south, east, and west sides of the Hojo (Abbot's Quarters), designed by Mirei Shigemori in 1938. They are also called the 'Hasso Garden' (Garden of the Eight Stages), named after the 'Hasso Jodo' (the eight important events in the life of the Buddha).

* Hojo
: A monk's residence in a Zen temple, which later took on a stronger role as a reception room.

◾️ North Garden (Small Checkered Pattern Garden)

A checkered pattern of square cut stones and moss is expressed, a novel construction that combines traditional karesansui (dry landscape) techniques.

A technique called 'bokashi' (shading) is used, where the stones naturally fade away toward the right edge.

The 'Sengyokukan' valley that spreads out behind the North Garden is covered in beautiful autumn leaves when the season arrives.

◾️ West Garden (Garden of Seiden)

Characterized by the linear beauty arranged in a large checkered pattern that combines azalea shrubs and white sand.

The design of the garden is inspired by the 'Seiden-sei' (well-field system), an ancient Chinese land division system that divided land into nine sections like the character for 'well'.

◾️ South Garden (Rough Seas and Shinsen-to Island)

The sand patterns based on the original design by Mirei Shigemori have been recreated for the first time in about 10 years by his grandson, Chisao Shigemori.

Through light-up and sound art, the stone arrangements emerge mystically, and with the production of a sea of clouds flowing across the garden, you can experience a fantastical landscape where Shinsen-to Island appears to float in a sea of mist.

It is the main garden that brings bold compositional beauty to the traditional dry landscape, expressing deep, rough waves with white sand and featuring four giant stones (Shinsen-to Island) representing the Five Mountains of Kyoto.

In Chinese Shinsen (immortal) philosophy, Shinsen-to Island is considered an ideal land of eternal youth and immortality located beyond the rough seas.

◾️ East Garden (Garden of the Big Dipper)

Seven cylindrical cut stones are arranged to resemble the Big Dipper, expressing a magnificent worldview that symbolizes the universe within a limited space.

The cut stones are repurposed pillar stones from the Important Cultural Property 'Tosu' (a Zen temple restroom).

Tsutenkyo Bridge

◾️Green Maples 'Valley of Refreshing Breeze'

The movement of the wind is beautifully expressed through the rustling of about 1,000 illuminated green maple trees that symbolize Tofuku-ji Temple.

Said to have been built by Shun'oku Myoha in 1380 (the 6th year of Tenju), this is a wooden roofed bridge approximately 27 meters long that connects the main hall and the Kaisando hall.

Planted with a variety of maple tree known as 'Trident Maple', which is said to have been brought back from the Song dynasty by the Zen monk Enni Ben'en, it boasts one of the finest views in Kyoto during the autumn foliage season.

Thank you for reading until the end.