About Daikakuji
Daikakuji (大覚寺) in Saga, Ukyo Ward, Kyoto, is the head temple of the Daikakuji branch of Shingon Buddhism, whose Shinden of 1619 and Momoyama-period guest hall are Important Cultural Properties and whose Shingyoden of 1925 was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on January 16, 1998. It is an imperial temple created from Emperor Saga's detached palace, Saga-in; headed by emperors and princes over the centuries, it is known as the Saga Palace (Kyoto City Tourism Association).
According to the Kyoto City Tourism Association, Emperor Saga copied the Heart Sutra in the Heian period to pray for an end to an epidemic, which is said to have subsided; his copy and those of later emperors are still kept under imperial seal in the Shingyoden, making Daikakuji the principal centre for copying the Heart Sutra.
Shinden, Guest Hall and Shingyoden
The Shinden, a hip-and-gable cypress-bark building of 1619, was designated an Important Cultural Property in 1927. According to Daikakuji, it was given by Emperor Go-Mizunoo and had been used as the residence of Tofukumon-in Kazuko, daughter of the shogun Tokugawa Hidetada and consort of the emperor. It holds the sliding-door paintings of peonies and red plum by Kano Sanraku (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Daikakuji).
The guest hall (Taimenjo), a hip-and-gable cypress-bark building of the Momoyama period, was designated in 1912 (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The Shingyoden, designed by Fujii Koji, recreates a wooden octagonal hall in reinforced concrete; Daikakuji says it was rebuilt on the model of the Yumedono at Horyuji and houses the sealed sutras and a statue of Yakushi Nyorai (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Daikakuji).
Visiting Daikakuji
According to the Kyoto City Tourism Association, the hall area and the Osawa Pond area are both open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (last entry 4:30 p.m.). Admission to the hall area is 800 yen for adults and 400 yen for school pupils; the pond area is 500 yen and 100 yen. The temple may close irregularly for its own ceremonies.
Take a city or Kyoto bus to Daikakuji, or walk about 20 minutes from the north exit of JR Saga-Arashiyama Station. Telephone 075-871-0071 (Kyoto City Tourism Association). Photography and video inside the halls are not permitted (Daikakuji).
References
- Hall area guide (Daikakuji)
- https://www.daikakuji.or.jp/precincts/
- Daikakuji (Kyoto City Tourism Association)
- https://ja.kyoto.travel/tourism/single01.php?category_id=7&tourism_id=402
- Daikakuji Shinden (Database of National Cultural Properties)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/1888
- Daikakuji Guest Hall (Database of National Cultural Properties)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/1887
- Daikakuji Shingyoden (Database of National Cultural Properties)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00000448
Last verified: 2026.10.07
Basic Information
| Name | Daikakuji |
|---|---|
| Location | Saga-Osawacho, Ukyo Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture |
| Owner | Daikakuji (religious corporation) |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (2) · Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (1) |
| Coordinates | 35.02837, 135.67837 |
