Exclusive Zen Meditation and Matcha Experience at a Historic Temple in Kyoto
Seek inner stillness through zazen meditation inside a tea room at a 500-year-old Zen temple in Kyoto.
Overview
Daisen-in, where this experience takes place, is a sub-temple of Daitoku-ji, one of the five most important Zen temples in Kyoto. Founded in 1509 by the Zen priest Kogaku Sōkō, it is best known for its celebrated Karesansui (dry landscape) garden, a miniature world of stone and raked gravel that traces the journey of a river from mountain source to open sea using nothing but rock and sand.
This zazen (Zem meditation )experience invites a small private group into that history. You are welcomed for a zazen session into a tea room ordinarily closed to visitors, seated in the same quiet space the temple's priests have used for their own practice. You'll be guided through the basic method of zazen meditation, though there's nothing difficult about it. Simply sit with proper posture, focus on your breath, let go of distracting thoughts, and find peace of mind.
When the meditation ends, the priest prepares matcha for you by hand, right there in the room. While enjoying the matcha, you are welcome to ask the priest about Zen, the garden, or anything else that comes to mind. The experience closes with a guided tour of Daisen-in's dry landscape garden, its symbolism explained rather than simply viewed, so that Muromachi-period culture and the spirit of Zen become easier to read in the stones themselves.
The course is offered by private, on-request reservation, with English support provided as standard by Daisen-in's own staff. The experience begins and ends at Daisen-in. As an optional add-on, a guide can accompany you from your hotel in Kyoto to Daisen-in for an additional fee.
Details
Step into a tranquil world shaped by centuries of Japanese tradition, combining zazen, tea ceremony, and a karesansui garden in one authentic experience.
Practice zazen meditation to quiet the mind and cultivate calm focus, much as practitioners have done for generations. Then enjoy matcha, learning the art of mindfulness and hospitality passed down through Japanese culture. Finally, find stillness in quiet contemplation before a traditional dry landscape garden, embracing the Zen spirit of reflection at the heart of Japan's history.
❖ Check-in at Daisen-in
Please arrive and check in at Daisen-in, located within the ground of Daitoku-ji temple, before the start time of your zazen experience. A staff member will then guide you to the tea room.
❖ Zazen Meditation
Approx. 30 minutes
The experience begins with zazen meditation in the temple's private tea room. Following an explanation of the principles and practice of meditation, you will participate in a meditation session. Sit with proper posture, focus on your breath, let go of distracting thoughts, and find peace of mind.
Those whose concentration drifts may press their palms together to signal the priest, who will strike their back lightly with the traditional keisaku stick, a customary part of zazen practice, to help restore focus.
❖ Matcha Experience
Approx. 30 minutes
Once the meditation concludes, the priest prepares matcha for you himself, in the same room, and guests are invited to relax and talk with him over tea. Feel free to ask the priest about zazen, Buddhism, monastic life, or anything else you're curious about.
❖ Karesansui Garden Tour
Approx. 30 minutes
The session closes with a tour to Daisen-in's renowned Karesansui (dry landscape) garden, with its history and symbolism explained along the way, including the tea room where Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the warlord who unified Japan at the end of the Sengoku (Warring States) period, is said to have taken tea with the tea master Sen no Rikyu.
What this lesson includes:
Private zazen session in a tea room not open to general visitors
Matcha prepared and served by the priest in person
Conversation with the priest over tea
Guided tour of Daisen-in's celebrated dry landscape garden
English-speaking support throughout, provided by Daisen-in staff
OPTIONS
Notes
Reservations are request-based and availability is subject to change.
This is a seated meditation experience; please let us know in advance of any condition that limits sitting or kneeling. (Small chairs are available upon request for guests who find it difficult to sit cross-legged.)
Comfortable, modest clothing suitable for sitting on the floor is recommended. Please refrain from wearing short skirts.
Hotel pickup is not included. If you would like your guide to accompany you from your hotel, please add the optional Hotel Pick-up Service to your booking. (Available for hotels within Kyoto City only.)
For solo travelers, a minimum charge equivalent to two participants applies.
Meeting Point
Daisen-in (within Daitoku-ji Temple Complex), Kyoto
54-1 Murasakino Daitokuji-cho, Kita-ku, Kyoto, 603-8231
*Please check in at the reception
What's included:
Private zazen session
Matcha experience
Conversation with the priest over tea
Dry landscape garden tour
English-speaking support
Local tax
What's not included:
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Transportation to and from Daisen-in
Private experience
1
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7
Participants
Kyoto
From ¥19,000 /person
1:30 hours
Traveler Photos
From ¥19,000 /person
1:30 hours
Kyoto