Taizō-in is one of, and perhaps the most well-known among Myōshin-ji’s 46 sub-temples. It is also one of the largest to visit within the temple. After entering the grounds, the visitor first arrives at the abbot’s quarters, where “Motonobu’s Garden” 元信の庭, a karesansui-style garden said to exemplify the values of Zen Buddhism, can be gazed from the side.
The highlight of the temple, however, lies further down. Continuing the path, one reaches a small wooden gate that opens up to the Yokō-en 余香庭, the “garden of remaining scents.” Only designed quite recently (in 1965), a massive weeping cherry tree thrones in the center of this garden. This cherry tree has become quite famous in Japan over the last years due to a poster campaign by JR, and as a result, the temple gets very crowded during cherry blossom season (but remains rather quiet throughout the rest of the year). To the left and right are two small karesansui-style gardens, the “gardens of Yin and Yang” (陰陽の庭). Passing through under the cherry tree, one finally arrives at a wet-landscape garden and a tea house. A cup of Maccha can be enjoyed for an extra fee, and this garden is perhaps at its best during early summer.

Admission: open year-round
Nearby places of interest: Keishun-in, Daihō-in, Daishin-in, Tōrin-in