Daishogun Hachi Shrine
Kitano, Kyoto
- Daily
- 6:00 to 18:00
The shrine office is open 9:00 to 17:00. The Hotoku-den statue hall opens 1 to 5 May and 1 to 5 November, 10:00 to 16:00.
Source: daishogun.or.jp, checked 11 Oct 2026.
Daishogun Hachi Shrine was founded in 794, when the capital moved to Kyoto, to guard the north-west corner of the palace, the direction yin-yang lore calls the gate of heaven. Its Hotoku-den hall holds 80 wooden statues of the star god Daishogun from the 10th to 13th centuries, 50 of them in armour, arranged as a three-dimensional star mandala.
Insider tip
The grounds are open 6:00 to 18:00. The Hotoku-den opens 1 to 5 May and 1 to 5 November, 10:00 to 16:00, for ¥500, and on other days if you ask ahead. It's 200 m south-west of the Kitano Tenmangu-mae bus stop.
What's on near Daishogun Hachi Shrine
Upcoming events within a ten-minute walk of Daishogun Hachi Shrine, from the weekly Kyoto events calendar.
Tenjin-san Market at Kitano Tenmangu
天神市（北野天満宮）
Time 7:00 to sunset Station Kitano Tenmangu-mae bus stop (City Bus), 1 min walk
Kitano Tenmangu's market on the 25th, the date tied to Sugawara no Michizane's birth and death, is Kyoto's other big fair alongside To-ji's, strong on antiques, old tools and secondhand clothes. On market days the shrine buildings are lit after dark.
z tanuki, CC BY 3.0 Kitano Tenmangu Momiji-en Maple Garden
史跡御土居のもみじ苑
Time 9:00 to 16:00 (last entry 15:40), to 20:00 during the light-up from 13 Nov (last entry 19:40) Station Kitano Tenmangu-mae bus stop (City Bus 50), 1 min walk
About 350 maples grow on the Odoi, the earth rampart Toyotomi Hideyoshi built round Kyoto, and the garden opens for the season with a light-up after dark from 13 Nov. Look out for the vermilion Uguisu Bridge over the Kamiya River, and the ticket comes with a sweet based on fu-no-yaki, said to have been devised by Sen no Rikyu.
z tanuki, CC BY 3.0 Shimai-Tenjin, the Last Tenjin Market of the Year
終い天神
Time 7:00 to sunset Station Kitano Tenmangu-mae bus stop (City Bus), 1 min walk
The year's last Tenjin-san market at Kitano Tenmangu is busier than any other, with antiques, old tools, secondhand clothes and New Year goods. From 13 Dec to about this day the shrine also offers Obuku-ume, pickled plums for the first tea of New Year's Day.
z tanuki, CC BY 3.0 Tenjin-ichi Market at Kitano Tenmangu
天神市（北野天満宮）
Time All day, lanterns lit from sunset Station Kitano-Hakubaicho (Randen Kitano Line), 5 min walk
The 25th is Kitano Tenmangu's monthly fair day, and stalls line the approach all day. From sunset the shrine lights its 350 stone and 250 hanging lanterns, and 25 January and 25 December are the busiest of the year, with about a thousand stalls.
z tanuki, CC BY 3.0 Plum Garden at Kitano Tenmangu
梅苑「花の庭」公開（北野天満宮）
Station Kitano Tenmangu-mae bus stop (City Bus 50), right by the stop
The shrine has about 1,500 plum trees of 50 kinds, and it opens its plum garden, with a tea stall and a viewing deck, while they flower. Opening depends on the blossom, usually early February, and the garden stays open to late March.
z tanuki, CC BY 3.0 Nearby
Around Kitano
Tenjin's head shrine, Kyoto's oldest geisha district and Daitoku-ji
Start at Kitano Tenmangu, head shrine of about 12,000 Tenjin shrines, founded in 947 for Sugawara no Michizane, the scholar students still pray to before exams. Come on the 25th, when the Tenjin-san Market fills the approach and the lanterns are lit after dark. Kamishichiken, Kyoto's oldest geisha district, lines the shrine's east approach, and Daitoku-ji's Zen temples are about 1.7 km north-east.
Kitano has 25 places on the Roam Kyoto map: 10 shrines and temples, 3 cafes, 3 shops, 2 restaurants, 2 bathhouses, 1 viewpoint, 1 neighbourhood, 1 museum, 1 bar and 1 market. Read the Kitano guide.
Good to know
- What is the address of Daishogun Hachi Shrine?
- 48 Nishi-machi, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto (in Japanese: 京都市上京区一条通御前通西入西町48).
- What are the opening hours of Daishogun Hachi Shrine?
- Daily 6:00 to 18:00. The shrine office is open 9:00 to 17:00. The Hotoku-den statue hall opens 1 to 5 May and 1 to 5 November, 10:00 to 16:00.
- How do I get to Daishogun Hachi Shrine?
- The nearest station is Kitano Tenmangu-mae bus stop (City Bus 10, 50, 51, 55, 203). Daishogun Hachi Shrine is in Kitano, Kyoto.
- How much does Daishogun Hachi Shrine cost?
- Nothing. Daishogun Hachi Shrine is free to visit.
- How long do you need at Daishogun Hachi Shrine?
- Plan for 30 min.
- When is the best time to visit Daishogun Hachi Shrine?
- 1 to 5 May or November.
Stay near Daishogun Hachi Shrine
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