Kōdai-ji

photo by 663highland · CC BY-SA 4.0

In the evening moving images are projected onto the dry landscape garden: last entry 21:30.

The route is one-way and climbs: first the steps, then a covered corridor that follows the slope of Higashiyama. At five in the afternoon, during the illumination periods, the projectors come on and images begin to move across the gravel of the dry landscape garden; you can enter until half past nine. Within the grounds there is also an android that recites Buddhist texts.

Nene, widow of Toyotomi Hideyoshi (the warlord who ruled Japan at the end of the sixteenth century), had it built so that she could retire there after her husband's death. It stands on a slope on the side of Higashiyama. Within the grounds is the Shō Museum, with objects that belonged to Nene. The Entoku-in, a few metres away, has its own separate grounds and ticket.

ℹ️ ¥800 adults, ¥400 junior high and high school students, ¥1,200 for the combined ticket with the Entoku-in, ¥700 for groups of thirty; free with a disability certificate plus one companion. Hours 9:00–17:30 with admission until 17:00; during the evening illumination periods the lights come on at 17:00, last entry at 21:30, closing at 22:00. ⚠️ The price of the night visit is not stated separately. In November, in the evening, school groups are not admitted after 17:00. ⚠️ The climb is continuous and the route one-way: if your legs are tired, you cannot cut it short. ⚠️ Restoration works are recurrent: in July 2026 the kyakuden, the reception hall, was still being restored.

🚉 Kyoto Kawaramachi · 17 min walk

Sources: kodaiji.com

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