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An old temple of the Sagano area with many temple treasures connected to the Imperial family

This temple was originally built as a detached palace for the newlywed Emperor Saga and Empress Danrin back in the early Heian period. In 876, what had become a palace of the retired Emperor Saga was converted into a temple called Daikaku-ji, which was overseen by the Imperial Prince Tsunesada, who had become the monk Gojaku. Between the Kamakura period and Southern and Northern Courts period, Daikaku-ji Temple became the imperial palace (Southern Court) and was the stage for the peace process between the northern and southern factions. Thus, the temple was run by successive Imperial abbots in the monzeki system (a system where Imperial family members ran temples) until the start of the Meiji period. Alas, during the age of civil wars (1467-1568), Daikaku-ji lost nearly all of its halls in the destruction of the Onin War, and now presents itself in the state that it was restored to between 1624 and 1644. It is the birthplace of ikebana flower arranging and serves as the administration office (school head) for the Saga school of ikebana.
In the Reiho-kan, or treasure hall, for approximately two months every spring and autumn, a themed exhibition is held to display the famous treasures of the Saga Imperial Palace (displayed works changed depending on theme). Many of the temple’s treasures such as writings, paintings and Buddhist images are shown. These include three sets of statues of the Five Great Wisdom Kings—one set by the late-Heian-period Buddha sculptor Myoen and the other two from the Muromachi and Edo periods, a seated statue of Aizenmyoo, and paintings, such as the Momoyama-period sliding door paintings Botan-zu (“Peonies”) and Matsutaka-zu (“Hawk on a Pine Tree”) by Sanraku Kano, as well as Nousagi-zu (“Hares”) by Shiko Watanabe.