Daigo-ji : Cherry Blossom Spot in Kyoto

Arrived at Daigo-Ji, we are already impressed by the place. It seems huge. The visit will confirm that feeling.

The entire site is gigantic. There are more than 80 buildings, separated into 3 main parts:

• Sanbō-in
• Shimo-Daigo
• Kami-Daigo

Sambō-in and Shimo-Daigo are at the base of the mountain, very easy to access. They are the most touristy places. Most visitors do not visit the last section.

The visit starts with a long path. On the right, there is the Reihokan museum, which preserves many statues of Buddha and art objects. It was unfortunately not open when we went.

On the left, you will find the Sanbō-in Temple, also known as the « Pavilion of the Three Treasures ».

The interior is pretty, typically Japanese. The floor is covered with tatami, the Shoji (typical Japanese sliding door) with designs. This is the first time we've seen Shoji with designs.

You also have Japanese screens with multiple paintings or drawings (Byōbu). A beautiful interior.

Photos are prohibited inside the temple, so we let you discover these magnificent paintings by yourself.

Like in every temple we visited, you must take off your shoes. We continued the visit in socks, but unlike Himeji Castle, for example, there were no slippers. It depends on the place or the season, maybe.

In the center of the temple, there is a small garden with a pond, a small wooden bridge, bonsais, multiple rocks… Everything reminds us of Japanese Zen gardens.

You can observe the magnificent temple gate from afar. We'll see it better from the other side.

Still on the left side, behind the Sanbō-in temple, there are two other temples. More interestingly, there is a small path that leads to a garden filled with cherry trees.

Once this first visit is done, return to the initial path and continue straight.

You will pass by the gate of Sanbō-in, named the Karamon, which you will see much better from here.

At the end of the path, a large intense red door brings us into an even bigger garden, and more importantly, in the second section: Shimo-Daigo.

This other red door, named Niō or Niōmon, prevents evil spirits from entering worship places.

It looks like other doors of some temples that we visited in Japan, such as the Fushimi Inari-Taisha or the Tokyo at the Senso-Ji temple. It reminds us of a smaller Torii, because of the color and the shape.

Continuing the path, you will see several buildings more or less hidden behind the multiple trees.

The park is vast, and following the path, you'll come across another eye-catching building, a 5-storey pagoda called Goju-no-to. This wooden pagoda is impressive because of its size and construction details. The architecture is magnificent. Completed in 951, it is the oldest building in Kyoto and 38 meters high.

Right next to this pagoda, hidden behind some cherry trees, we see another temple with monks praying inside.

We observe them... nobody takes pictures, nobody talks, we only hear the sound of birds and the wind on the trees. A moment hard to explain but anchored in our memory. Time stops until they finish their prayer. We can then resume our visit and take photos.

By continuing, we reach the most famous place of Daigo-Ji, the Bentendo temple, with its famous red bridge. You can rest by the pond for a few minutes. The area is very calm and soothing.

In the pond, you can observe the temple reflected in the middle of ducks and koi carp, as well as the bridge and the cherry trees.

The bright colors of maple leaves attract many tourists and visitors in the fall. So don't hesitate to come to this season as well.

Most people come only to the Bentendo temple and therefore do not continue in the last section.

We will be the only ones to continue the trail that day, without really lingering more than that because we did not expect our visit to last that long. We really did not think this park was so vast.

After walking for an hour, you will reach the peak of the mountain, where the Daigo-Ji temple was born.

If you still have time, take the opportunity to take a walk. There are hiking trails with several waterfalls, a source of holy water, bridges, and more temples.