Hirano Shrine
Kitano, Kyoto
- Daily
- 6:00 to 17:00
Open after dark until about 21:00 in cherry blossom season.
Source: ja.kyoto.travel, checked 11 Oct 2026.
Hirano Shrine grows about 400 cherry trees of some 60 varieties, many of which started here, so something's in flower for about six weeks from mid-March. The shrine came here from Nara with the capital in 794, and its paired main halls of 1625 and 1632 are an Important Cultural Property.
Insider tip
Entry is free. In cherry season you can stay after dark, until about 21:00, for night viewing, and the Ouka-sai festival is on 10 April. Late varieties like Gyoiko and Shogetsu don't flower until mid to late April, and Hirano Tsukubane lasts into early May.
What's on at Hirano Shrine
Upcoming events at Hirano Shrine and within a ten-minute walk, from the weekly Kyoto events calendar.
Okasai Cherry Blossom Festival at Hirano Shrine
桜花祭（平野神社）
Time Rite 10:00, procession 13:00, back about 15:00 Station Kinugasako-mae bus stop (City Bus 50, 205), 3 min walk
A procession of about 200 people in period costume, weaving maidens and a column of court poets among them, leaves the shrine at 13:00 and tours the neighbourhood. It's held on 10 April every year.
lienyuan lee, CC BY 3.0 Meigetsu-sai at Hirano Shrine
名月祭（平野神社）
Time Rite 18:30, performances from 19:00 Station Kinugasako-mae bus stop (City Bus)
A harvest moon rite at 18:30, then folk song, dance, koto, shakuhachi and gagaku from 19:00, with matcha served for a fee.
lienyuan lee, 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 Baikasai Plum Blossom Festival
梅花祭（北野天満宮）
Time Tea ceremony 10:00 to 15:00 Station Kitano Tenmangu-mae bus stop (City Bus 50), right by the stop
On the anniversary of Sugawara no Michizane's death, Kamishichiken's geiko and maiko serve matcha at an outdoor tea ceremony in the plum garden. It's also the 25th, so the Tenjin-san market fills the approach.
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 Hirano Shrine?
- 1 Hirano Miyamoto-cho, Kita-ku, Kyoto (in Japanese: 京都市北区平野宮本町1).
- What are the opening hours of Hirano Shrine?
- Daily 6:00 to 17:00. Open after dark until about 21:00 in cherry blossom season.
- How do I get to Hirano Shrine?
- The nearest station is Kinugasako-mae bus stop (City Bus). Hirano Shrine is in Kitano, Kyoto.
- How much does Hirano Shrine cost?
- Nothing. Hirano Shrine is free to visit.
- How long do you need at Hirano Shrine?
- Plan for 30 min.
- When is the best time to visit Hirano Shrine?
- Late March to mid-April.
Stay near Hirano Shrine
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