Eihoji

EihojiNational TreasureMuso SosekiZenTajimi

Gifu · Tajimi

35.3472°N, 137.1307°E

Eihoji was founded in 1313 by Muso Soseki, the monk who designed the gardens at Tenryuji and Saihoji in Kyoto, and it holds two National Treasures — the Kannon hall and the founder's hall, both surviving Kamakura and Nanbokucho buildings. That is a concentration of nationally designated architecture you would expect in Kyoto or Nara, in a valley in a pottery town in eastern Gifu.

The garden is Muso's, a pond circuit designated a national Place of Scenic Beauty, with a curved bridge crossing to an island and a rock face behind. It is a working Zen training temple, which is why the atmosphere is not that of a visited site, and admission is free. It opens at seven in the morning. The great ginkgo in the grounds turns in late November.

Essential Information

Opening Hours

7:00 AM – 5:00 PM | Stamp office 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Closed: Open year-round

Entrance Fee

Free | Groups of 10 or more must reserve in advance

Best Season

Late November for the ginkgo and maples | Early morning year-round

Visit Duration

60–90 minutes

Getting There

Access Information

Kokeizan-cho 1-40, Tajimi. About 15 minutes on foot from JR Tajimi Station, or by car with parking on site. Open 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM, with the stamp office open 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM. Admission is free. It is an active Zen training monastery — groups of 10 or more must reserve in advance. The Kannon hall and founder's hall are National Treasures and the pond garden is a national Place of Scenic Beauty.

Insider Guide

Premium

**Two National Treasures and no admission charge.** The Kannon hall and the founder's hall are original Kamakura and Nanbokucho buildings. Free entry for that is close to unheard of. **Seven in the morning.** Early opening, mist off the pond, no one there. It is a training temple, so the monks are up regardless. **The garden is by Muso Soseki.** The same hand as Tenryuji and Saihoji in Kyoto. Walk the pond circuit rather than photographing the bridge and leaving. **Groups of ten or more must book.** This is a functioning monastery, not a visitor attraction, and the rule is enforced. **Late November for the ginkgo.** The great tree in the grounds is the local autumn event and the only time the temple is genuinely busy.

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