Higashi Hongan-ji
Kyoto Station, Kyoto
1 Nov to 29 Feb
- Daily
- 6:20 to 16:30
Rest of the year
- Daily
- 5:50 to 17:30
Source: higashihonganji.or.jp, checked 11 Oct 2026.
The head temple of the Otani branch of Jodo Shinshu, founded here in 1602 on land Tokugawa Ieyasu gave it. Both great halls burned in the fighting of 1864, and the Goei-do and Amida-do you walk into today were finished in 1895.
More photos of Higashi Hongan-ji
Insider tip
Entry's free and you don't need to book. The temple invites you inside both halls. It's 7 minutes on foot from Kyoto Station, and its garden, Shosei-en, is a few blocks east.
What the guides say about Higashi Hongan-ji
You won't be short of things to do on your doorstep either. Higashi Hongan-ji is 7 minutes north on foot and free, and Honke Daiichi Asahi serves ramen from 6:00. The catch is the crowd. Kyoto City's tourism site even tells visitors to avoid getting off at JR Kyoto Station when they can.
The Kyoto Imperial Palace is free and you don't need to book (it's closed Mondays). English tours start at 10:00 and 14:00. From October 2026 its Shishinden throne hall is under a repair of about nine years. Higashi Hongan-ji, 7 minutes on foot from the station, is free too. See free things to do in Kyoto.
What's on at Higashi Hongan-ji
Upcoming events at Higashi Hongan-ji and within a ten-minute walk, from the weekly Kyoto events calendar.
NAKED GARDEN NIGHTS at Higashi Honganji and Shosei-en
NAKED GARDEN NIGHTS 東本願寺・渉成園
Time 18:00 to 22:00 (Higashi Honganji last entry 21:00) Station Gojo (Karasuma Line), 5 min walk
NAKED lights Higashi Honganji and its detached garden Shosei-en for an evening walk through five scenes. Adult tickets are ¥2,100 Monday to Thursday and ¥2,300 Friday to Sunday and on holidays (¥200 less in advance), and from 6 to 8 Nov and on 25 Nov only Shosei-en is open.
Domenico Convertini, CC BY-SA 2.0 Year-end Dust Cleaning at Higashi Honganji
お煤払い（東本願寺）
Time From 9:00 Station Kyoto (JR, Karasuma Line), 7 min walk
Followers from all over Japan line up across the tatami of the Founder's and Amida halls, beat it with split bamboo and fan the dust out with paper fans about 2 m across. Then the head of the temple traces the character for 'long life' on a paper screen with a bamboo pole.
Domenico Convertini, CC BY-SA 2.0 Kyoto Modern Architecture Festival
京都モダン建築祭
Time Passport days 31 Oct and 1 Nov 10:00 to 19:00, 7 and 8 Nov 10:00 to 17:00 (hours vary by building) Station Kyoto (JR, Karasuma Line)
In its fifth year about 150 modern buildings take part, and on 31 Oct and 1 Nov and on 7 and 8 Nov a passport lets you walk into 61 that are usually closed or hard to visit, from houses, banks, schools and churches to a National Treasure. From 26 Oct a half pass is ¥3,000 and a full pass ¥5,000, sold online or for cash at the Kyoto General Tourist Information Center in Kyoto Station.
Year-end Dust Cleaning at Nishi Honganji
御煤払い（西本願寺）
Time From about 7:00 Station Nishi Hongwanji-mae bus stop (City Bus 9), 1 min walk
Monks and followers beat the tatami of the Goeido hall with bamboo poles and fan a year's dust out with big paper fans, a cleaning held here for over 500 years, since the time of Rennyo. It starts at about 7:00 and anyone can watch.
xiquinhosilva, CC BY 4.0 Nearby
Around Kyoto Station
Free temples and late ramen a few minutes from the platforms
Most visitors only see Kyoto Station on the way in or out, which is a shame. Higashi Hongan-ji is 7 minutes north on foot and free, To-ji's pagoda is 15 minutes south, and at the railway museum to the west a working steam engine will pull you along. After dark, 15,000 LEDs light the station's 171-step staircase.
Kyoto Station has 23 places on the Roam Kyoto map: 4 shrines and temples, 4 museums, 3 restaurants, 2 shops, 2 cafes, 2 parks and gardens, 2 bathhouses, 1 bar, 1 landmark, 1 viewpoint and 1 market. Read the Kyoto Station guide.
Good to know
- What is the address of Higashi Hongan-ji?
- Karasuma-dori Shichijo-agaru, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto (in Japanese: 京都市下京区烏丸通七条上る).
- What are the opening hours of Higashi Hongan-ji?
- 1 Nov to 29 Feb: Daily 6:20 to 16:30. Rest of the year: Daily 5:50 to 17:30.
- How do I get to Higashi Hongan-ji?
- The nearest station is Gojo (Karasuma Line). Higashi Hongan-ji is in Kyoto Station, Kyoto.
- How much does Higashi Hongan-ji cost?
- Nothing. Higashi Hongan-ji is free to visit.
- How long do you need at Higashi Hongan-ji?
- Plan for 45 min.
- When is the best time to visit Higashi Hongan-ji?
- Early morning.
Stay near Higashi Hongan-ji
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