Entoku-in
Entoku-in
4.2
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Kitanomandokoro Nene, who was the wife of Hideyoshi Toyotomi (1537-1598) who unified Japan at the Warring State Period, opened Kodai-ji temple for enshrining Hideyoshi after he died. It’s 400 years ago. And she ordered to move the Kesho-palace and the front yard of Fushimi-castle into Kodai-ji temple site, because she had many memories in Fushimi-castle with Hideyoshi, and she lived there. A lot of people, Japanese feudal lords, monks, tea masters, poets, painters, ceramicists and etc…, came to the place for meeting her. She spent for 19 years in the place until she died when she was 76years old. Iesada Kinoshita who was an older brother of Nene and Toshifusa who was a son of Iesada supported Nene. Toshifusa opened Entoku-in for a memorial service for the Kinoshita family in the place where Nene lived after she died. It became one of minor temples with Kodai-ji temple. Entoku-in has two dry landscape garden (south garden and north garden). The north garden, there are a lot of rocks. This garden was brought from Fushimi castle. It is a famous garden in the Momoyama Period. The south garden, the sands of this garden shows ocean. There are many trees that bloom in each season. It is very beautiful. The paintings on the fusuma (a framed and papered sliding door used as a room partition) in the main building were drawing by Tohaku Hasegawa who was a famous ink painter in the Edo Period and Ryo Akamatsu who was a Japanese modern artist. The fusuma, which was painted by Tohaku Hasegawa, is an important cultural property.
Duration: < 1 hour
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.2
185 reviews
Excellent
67
Very good
97
Average
17
Poor
3
Terrible
1
These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
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Martina1888
Inverness, UK505 contributions
Oct 2023 • Solo
You can get a combined ticket for Kodai-ji Temple and this small gem. After a stressful week this was the perfect place to calm down and get rooted. What I loved most was that you could practise Zen with various exercises. For example there were little Zen Gardens where you could draw lines with a tiny rake or copying sutras or pictures of Buddha. There are also some beautiful sliding doors. I highly recommend that you take some time and have a matcha and a sweet while looking out over the garden. This has to be one of the most panoramic Japanese Gardens I've ever seen. A hidden gem.
Written November 1, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Josie I
Cambridge, UK735 contributions
Dec 2023 • Solo
Very underrated. There are activities! You can trace with calligraphy and draw lines in the sand - I did the former, and it was honestly so much fun! The temple itself was pretty; I enjoyed walking through it. It is very similar to the complex in Ninnaji and also has the same style as Kōdaiji. However, for me, there was a particular garden (the last room) that had the perfect autumnal shades. I just thought it was unbelievable. And, for most of the time, I was the only one! I also saw a cat! There were red leaves that decorated the grass, yet still leaves on the trees - the rocks were also so pretty. I observed the garden from the temple, admired the view, and reflected earnestly about my life, for many minutes. It was zen; it was beautiful. A gem. The location is also fabulous!
Written December 11, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LaurentT76
Paris, France1,117 contributions
Jul 2024 • Family
Very beautiful and I think undervalued. Beautiful interior where photos are allowed, two gardens and enough to make a miniature stone garden for children. Mine loved it... and I enjoyed its calm. Group ticket with discount for Kodaiji.
Automatically translated
Written July 29, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
cantabile m
Tokyo, Japan135 contributions
Nov 2024 • Friends
It was a nice place to settle.
It's where people say Nene spent her last years.
The scale is also just the right size for old age
The autumn colors in the garden were not at their fullest
(In 2024, autumn colors were a month behind.)
Lighted up reluctantly for night viewing
I was able to look at it leisurely in a tatami room
When I'm done looking and out the gate
Staff were calling in.
I've just seen it. It's settled down.
It was very good.
Yes, you do. And I was confident.
Although night worship at Kodaiji Temple was quite prevalent
This is
I was like, "Here we go."
Before You Go to Kodai-ji
Just drop in.
It's where people say Nene spent her last years.
The scale is also just the right size for old age
The autumn colors in the garden were not at their fullest
(In 2024, autumn colors were a month behind.)
Lighted up reluctantly for night viewing
I was able to look at it leisurely in a tatami room
When I'm done looking and out the gate
Staff were calling in.
I've just seen it. It's settled down.
It was very good.
Yes, you do. And I was confident.
Although night worship at Kodaiji Temple was quite prevalent
This is
I was like, "Here we go."
Before You Go to Kodai-ji
Just drop in.
Automatically translated
Written December 21, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ccfchew_23
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia423 contributions
Dec 2019
This temple is part of Kodaji's temple and usually the admission is sold as a package deal. However one can choose to see this single temple.
It is a small temple that offers tea services and contains 2 areas (gardens) that you can sit and meditate on.
It is very much secluded as few tourist come by this place, and there is really nothing that is more Kyoto than sipping tea and clearing your mind off at a peaceful temple.
It is a small temple that offers tea services and contains 2 areas (gardens) that you can sit and meditate on.
It is very much secluded as few tourist come by this place, and there is really nothing that is more Kyoto than sipping tea and clearing your mind off at a peaceful temple.
Written December 11, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Treef
Kauai, Hawaii115 contributions
Jul 2019 • Solo
Along the famous Nene-no-michi known for its multiple Kyoto style temples and buildings is the retirement home and temple established by Nene, wife of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. It's very compact yet exquisite in its gardens and painted fusuma. A perfect place for poetry and meditation.
Written July 28, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jenny K
40 contributions
Sep 2018 • Family
Accidentally stumbled upon this little temple with 2 kids ages, 9 and 11. It was pouring rain all day, and we were completely soaked and tired from walking around most of the day. I saw a little alley way and decided to explore it and saw a sign that read “American Express Lounge.” Once I showed a lady, who was summoned by a gong, my American Express card (either Gold or Platinum will do), we were invited in. The place was quite large, well maintained, and had two beautiful gardens. We sat down and enjoyed the main, large garden for a while and went back out to the rain. The girls and I had a very relaxing, nice time at a place that was from another time.
Written September 20, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kimitaka S
Taichung, Taiwan15,842 contributions
Apr 2017 • Solo
Entoku-in is a filial of Kodaiji Temple, and you can buy a combination ticket to visit both temples. Much smaller than Kodaiji, but its garden is not less interesting than that of Kodaiji. During the season of cherry blossoms, you can visit by night too.
Written April 12, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
wgc131
St Albans, UK.53 contributions
Sep 2016 • Couples
We chose to spend a quiet half hour here instead of the busier and larger Kodaji over the road. We didn't regret our choice. The gardens are not quite up to the aesthetic and spiritual wonder of Kennin-ji and Ryoan-ji but but are very beautiful and calming nevertheless. And there are some extraordinary paintings, especially the outstanding dragon on foaming sea representing Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the leading military tactician of 16th century Japan whose wife built the temple and lived here in mourning to her husband after his death in 1605. (Toyotomi Hideyoshi means white dragon and the cormorants mean his subordinates). Look out too for some gruesome paintings of naked bodies tortured and dismembered by cruel looking demons - a Japanese version of Heironymous Bosch.
Written September 11, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Christiana A
78 contributions
Sep 2015 • Solo
Extremely close to Kodaiji, Entokuin is one of the few temples in Kyoto built by a woman. It is quiet and peaceful. Perfect if you are looking for a place to sit down and relax (while admiring the garden). I love the painting of the white dragon and his cormorant followers (Hakuryu).
Written July 20, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello, does anyone know if there's a tea ceremony everyday in May? I'd like to go on May 28th this year.
Written March 1, 2017
There are tea ceremonies every day in ENTOKU-IN
Written March 22, 2017
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