Chion-in

photo by lumoplank · CC0

The grounds open at 6:00 and are free: at that hour there is nobody in Higashiyama.

At six in the morning the gate is already open and the staircase is empty. The Sanmon, the entrance gate, is the largest wooden gate in Japan, and from there upward there are two routes: the Otokozaka, steep and straight ahead; the Onnazaka, a gentle ramp hidden to one side that hardly anyone finds. From nine to four a free shuttle makes the climb for anyone who does not feel up to it.

It is the head temple of the Pure Land school, one of the main branches of Japanese Buddhism. The grounds climb the side of Higashiyama and you can walk through them without paying; you pay only for the two gardens. The Sanmon, the entrance gate, is the largest wooden gate in Japan.

ℹ️ The grounds are free and open at 6:00, closing at 16:00. Gardens: Yūzen-en ¥300, garden of the abbot's quarters ¥400, combined ticket ¥500; free with a disability certificate. While the Seishi-dō is being restored, the imperial hall can be visited from 9:00 to 16:00. ⚠️ The climb: the Otokozaka staircase is steep and easy to see, while the Onnazaka ramp, much gentler, is to one side and poorly signposted. There is a free internal shuttle between the main gate and the main hall, from 9:00 to 16:00, suspended between 13:00 and 14:00. ⚠️ Going up to the upper floor of the Sanmon is not stated on the website: those openings are special and have to be looked up separately.

🚉 Kyoto Kawaramachi · 18 min walk

Sources: chion-in.or.jp

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