Kyoto Tower
Kyoto Station, Kyoto
- Daily
- 10:00 to 21:00
Last entry 20:30. On 16 August the deck closes at 18:30 (last entry 18:00).
Source: kyoto-tower.jp, checked 11 Oct 2026.
Kyoto Tower, officially Nidec Kyoto Tower, is 131 m tall and sits on top of a nine-storey building across from the station's central exit. Its shape is meant as a lighthouse over a sea of tiled roofs. Mamoru Yamada designed it, and it opened on 28 December 1964. The deck at 100 m looks over the whole city to the mountains on three sides.
More photos of Kyoto Tower
Insider tip
Entry's ¥1,000 for adults (from 1 October 2026). Go on a clear evening and you'll get the city lights too. There's no steel frame inside. The tower is made of joined cylinders of steel plate, a method first used in Japan here.
What's on near Kyoto Tower
Upcoming events within a ten-minute walk of Kyoto Tower, from the weekly Kyoto events calendar.
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.
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 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 Kyoto Tower?
- 721-1 Higashi-Shiokoji-cho, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto (in Japanese: 京都市下京区烏丸通七条下る東塩小路町721-1).
- What are the opening hours of Kyoto Tower?
- Daily 10:00 to 21:00. Last entry 20:30. On 16 August the deck closes at 18:30 (last entry 18:00).
- How do I get to Kyoto Tower?
- The nearest station is Kyoto (JR, Karasuma Line, Kintetsu). Kyoto Tower is in Kyoto Station, Kyoto.
- How much does Kyoto Tower cost?
- Kyoto Tower is cheap, marked ¥ on the site's price scale.
- How long do you need at Kyoto Tower?
- Plan for 45 min.
- When is the best time to visit Kyoto Tower?
- Clear evenings.
Stay near Kyoto Tower
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See hotels near Kyoto Tower on Booking.comPrices are for the night of Saturday 17 October. You can change the dates on Booking.com. If you book, Roam Kyoto earns a small commission from Stay22 at no extra cost to you.