The Mittan Tea Room
The Ryokoin Temple Shoin (龍光院書院) is the early Edo shoin of Ryokoin, a sub-temple of Daitokuji in Murasakino, Kita Ward, Kyoto City, which in 1961 was designated a National Treasure.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records a four-and-three-quarter-mat tea room, the Mittanseki, with rooms of ten, eight and six mats and a broad veranda.
The Agency explains that a hall and other rooms were added in about 1649 around a tea room built in the Kan'ei era (1624 to 1643).
The Tea Room
According to the Agency, the tea room, called Mittanseki, is a four-and-three-quarter-mat room somewhat in shoin style, said to reflect the taste of Kobori Enshu.
It has two alcoves, one for calligraphy by Mi-an Xianjie and the other for a covering letter by Rikyu.
What to Look For
The Agency regards it as a representative tea room of the early Edo period.
The room takes its name from the calligraphy of the Southern Song Zen monk Mi-an Xianjie that hangs in its alcove.
Visiting the Ryokoin Temple Shoin
No official visitor information could be found.
The temple's history and its other buildings are on the Ryokoin group page.
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Q&A
- When was the shoin designated a National Treasure?
- On 27 April 1961.
- What is the Mittanseki?
- A tea room in shoin style said to reflect Kobori Enshu's taste.
- What is special about its alcoves?
- There are two, for calligraphy by Mi-an Xianjie and a letter by Rikyu.
- When was it built?
- The tea room in the Kan'ei era (1624 to 1643), with rooms added around 1649.
- How is 龍光院 read?
- Ryokoin.
Basic Information
| Name | Ryokoin Temple Shoin (龍光院書院) |
|---|---|
| Location | Murasakino Daitokuji-cho, Kita Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture |
| Designation | National Treasure (building) |
| Year Designated | Designated 1961/4/27 (Showa 36) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Mittan tea room, rooms of 10, 8, 6, 4.5, 3 and 8 mats, broad veranda |
| Owner | Not recorded in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database |
| Public Access | No official visitor information found |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Ryokoin Shoin (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/1592
- Cultural Heritage Online: Ryokoin Shoin (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/146791
Last verified: 2026.09.29
