Kennin-ji
Gion, Kyoto
- Daily
- 10:00 to 17:00
Last entry 16:30.
Source: kenninji.jp, checked 11 Oct 2026.
Kennin-ji is Kyoto's oldest Zen temple, founded in 1202 with the monk Eisai as its first abbot. Look up in the Dharma Hall at Koizumi Junsaku's twin dragons, finished in 2002 for the 800th anniversary and painted across a ceiling 11.4 by 15.7 metres. The Wind and Thunder Gods screens you see are high-definition copies, because Sotatsu's original is deposited at the Kyoto National Museum.
More photos of Kennin-ji
Insider tip
Entry is ¥800 (¥500 for schoolchildren), rising to ¥1,000 on 1 January 2027. You can get in until 16:30. In heavy rain, staff may turn you away if your clothes or socks are soaked, to protect the halls.
What's on near Kennin-ji
Upcoming events within a ten-minute walk of Kennin-ji, from the weekly Kyoto events calendar.
Hatsuka Ebisu Festival
二十日ゑびす大祭
Time Eve 19 Oct from 16:00, main festival 20 Oct from 14:00 Station Shijo-Kawaramachi bus stop (City Bus), 10 min walk
The autumn counterpart of January's Toka Ebisu welcomes the god Ebisu back from the sea, and lucky bamboo branches, charms and talismans for business are handed out. The eve is on 19 Oct from 16:00 and the main festival on 20 Oct from 14:00.
masato_photo, CC BY-SA 2.0 Toka Ebisu at Kyoto Ebisu Shrine
十日ゑびす大祭
Station Shijo-Kawaramachi bus stop (City Bus), 10 min walk
Kyoto Ebisu Shrine's big New Year festival runs from 8 to 12 Jan, and around the 10th you can get lucky bamboo branches for business. In 2026 the shrine stayed open all night on the 9th and 10th.
masato_photo, CC BY-SA 2.0 Onshukai Recital of Gion Kobu
祇園甲部 温習会
Station Gion-Shijo (Keihan), 8 min walk
Gion Kobu's geiko and maiko dance the Inoue-school Kyomai handed down since the Edo period, with a different programme on each of the six days.
Rokudo Mairi at Rokudo Chinno-ji
六道まいり（六道珍皇寺）
Time 6:00 to 22:00 Station Kiyomizu-michi bus stop (City Bus 206), 3 min walk
Before Obon, Kyoto families come to this temple at the old crossroads to the underworld to ring the mukae-gane bell and call their ancestors home, carrying sprigs of koyamaki bought from stalls on the approach.
663highland, CC BY 2.5 Mizue-kai Recital of Miyagawacho
みずゑ會（宮川町）
Time 16:00, plus 13:00 at the weekend Station Gion-Shijo (Keihan), 7 min walk
Miyagawacho's geiko and maiko show the classical dances they've been practising, and the finale is Miyagawa Kouta, a song of the district through the seasons. Seats were ¥10,000 downstairs and ¥8,000 upstairs in 2026.
Bryan Ledgard, CC BY 2.0 Nearby
Around Gion
The teahouse streets below Yasaka Shrine, best early or at dusk
Gion grew up as the town at the gate of Yasaka Shrine, and it's still where Kyoto's geiko and maiko live and work. Gion Kobu, the largest of the city's five geiko districts, keeps its teahouses along Hanamikoji-dori, and the Shirakawa canal runs through Gion Shinbashi to the north. Go early for the shrine and the temples behind it. Come back at dusk for the streets.
Gion has 25 places on the Roam Kyoto map: 6 shrines and temples, 4 shops, 4 neighbourhoods, 3 cafes, 2 landmarks, 2 restaurants, 1 bar, 1 museum, 1 park or garden and 1 bathhouse. Read the Gion guide.
Good to know
- What is the address of Kennin-ji?
- 584 Komatsu-cho, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto (in Japanese: 京都市東山区大和大路通四条下る小松町584).
- What are the opening hours of Kennin-ji?
- Daily 10:00 to 17:00. Last entry 16:30.
- How do I get to Kennin-ji?
- The nearest station is Gion-Shijo (Keihan). Kennin-ji is in Gion, Kyoto.
- How much does Kennin-ji cost?
- Kennin-ji is cheap, marked ¥ on the site's price scale.
- How long do you need at Kennin-ji?
- Plan for 1 hour.
- When is the best time to visit Kennin-ji?
- Right at opening.
Stay near Kennin-ji
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