Korinin

Korinin（興臨院） is the Tatchu (temple on the grounds of a large temple) of Daitokuji Temple.It was originally founded by Hatakeyama Yoshifusa. Since then, it has been the family temple of the Hatakeyama family.After the fall of the Hatakeyama family, the temple was restored by Maeda Toshiie in 1581 and became the family temple of the Maeda family.

Korinin’s main hall (hojo) is designated as an important cultural property, with a single-layered gabled roof that represents the characteristics of the Muromachi period.

Inside the hojo room is Japan’s first tokonoma (alcove) and an “echoing ceiling” that resonates when one claps one’s hands.The Hojo front garden represents the world of Horai.Horai is one of the sacred lands in ancient China where hermits were said to live in the eastern sea (under the sea).

Korinin is normally closed to the public, but is open to the public on special occasions in spring and fall. Access to Korinin from Kyoto Station is by bus, a 35-minute ride.