Monks were selling autographs and joking boisterously with the visitors. Gift shops cluttered the precincts. Tour groups were rushed through in huge numbers. Many of the planted gardens were literally dying from generations of Zen perfection in their cleaning and maintenance. These problems are not unique to Daitokuji.
Similar situations exist at many other temples and shrines.
I watched more than 350 students pouring in and out of the famous Ryoanji Temple's rock garden in less than 15 minutes. The problem was not drainage, but that we had allowed all the life of its soil be removed. In all fairness, I also discovered one small garden at the Ryogen-in whose raking pattern had been subtly changed, making the garden much more powerful, and the only place of living energy I felt in the parts of the precincts I visited. That living tradition is essential, but seems rare today. I was saddened by this for several reasons.