
Tenryū-ji
天龍寺
Arashiyama, Kyoto · 京都
The first-ranked Zen temple of Kyoto, whose Sōgenchi pond garden has survived in its original 14th-century layout and borrows the Arashiyama hills as its backdrop.
Why it’s worth it
Pay the extra to go inside the building and sit on the veranda facing the pond. It is the clearest lesson in shakkei — borrowed scenery — anywhere.
CategoryCulture
AreaArashiyama
Hours08:30–17:00
Typical spend¥
borrowed scenerypond gardenunesco
Nearby
Walking distance from Tenryū-ji
More culture
Shrines, palaces and quiet rooms
Photo by Dmitry Romanoff on Pexels


