Nashinoki Shrine
Imperial Palace, Kyoto
- Daily
- 9:00 to 17:00
Amulet office 9:00 to 16:30, closed 12:15 to 13:15.
Source: ja.kyoto.travel, checked 11 Oct 2026.
Nashinoki Shrine was founded in 1885 for Sanjo Sanetsumu and his son Sanetomi, both statesmen of the Meiji Restoration. Its Somei well is one of Kyoto's three famous waters, and people still come to fill bottles. In late September the shrine's bush clover flowers for the Hagi Matsuri, with archery, iai sword drawing, dance and traditional music.
Insider tip
The grounds are free. The amulet office keeps 9:00 to 16:30 but stops for lunch between 12:15 and 13:15. Coffee Base Nashinoki, inside the grounds, makes its coffee with the Somei water, and Rozan-ji is across Teramachi-dori.
What's on at Nashinoki Shrine
Upcoming events at Nashinoki Shrine and within a ten-minute walk, from the weekly Kyoto events calendar.
Hagi Matsuri at Nashinoki Shrine
萩まつり（梨木神社）
Time Tea 10:00 to 15:00 Station Furitsu-Idai-Byoin-mae bus stop (City Bus 4, 17, 205)
More than 500 bush clover plants flower in the grounds of the shrine known as the Hagi no Miya, with visitors' poems tied to the branches. The festival weekend has archery, iaido, dance and music offerings and a tea seat for ¥1,200.
Hyppolyte de Saint-Rambert, CC BY 4.0 Demon Dance at Rozan-ji
追儺式鬼法楽（廬山寺）
Time From 15:00 Station Furitsu-Idai-Byoin-mae bus stop (City Bus 4, 17, 205)
Red, blue and black demons, one for each of the three poisons, dance into the hall and try to disrupt a fire ritual until beans and prayer drive them out. Rice cakes and beans are thrown from 16:00.
663highland, CC BY-SA 4.0 Kyoto State Guest House Autumn Evening Opening
京都迎賓館 秋の夜間延長公開
Time Open to 19:15 (last admission 18:15) Station Imadegawa (Karasuma Line), exit 3, 15 min walk
For four days the State Guest House stays open into the evening, when its shoji screens glow like big lanterns over the central pond. There's no booking or guide, children of primary school age and younger can't enter, and you'll want a torch for the dark walk through the Imperial Park.
Indiana jo, CC BY-SA 4.0 Kyoto Imperial Palace Spring Special Opening
京都御所 春の特別公開
Time 9:00 to 15:50 (out by 16:30) Station Imadegawa (Karasuma Line), 5 min walk from exit 6
Five days of extra displays in the palace. In 2026 they were the Takamikura throne in the Shishinden (seen from the south court), the dressing of a twelve-layer court robe, and gagaku or kemari kickball in the mornings. Entry is free with no booking, and staff give guided walks in Japanese and English.
DavideGorla, CC BY 2.0 Aoi Matsuri
葵祭 路頭の儀
Time Leaves the palace 10:30, Shimogamo 11:40 to 14:20, Kamigamo about 15:30 Station Imadegawa or Marutamachi (Karasuma Line)
Over 500 people in Heian court dress, with 36 horses and 4 oxen pulling decorated carts, walk from the Imperial Palace to Shimogamo and on to Kamigamo, everything hung with hollyhock leaves. The Kyoto City Tourism Association sells reserved seats, and rain moves it to the next day.
DavideGorla, CC BY 2.0 Nearby
Around Imperial Palace
Free palace walks, a park that never shuts, and the court's old shops
Kyoto Gyoen, a park 1.3 km long in central Kyoto, never closes. The Kyoto Imperial Palace sits inside it, and you can walk round it for free without booking. Around the edges you'll find Shokoku-ji (head of the Zen branch that takes in Kinkaku-ji), the house site where The Tale of Genji was written, and shops that once supplied the court.
Imperial Palace has 23 places on the Roam Kyoto map: 6 shrines and temples, 5 landmarks, 3 museums, 2 cafes, 2 restaurants, 2 shops, 2 parks and gardens and 1 bar. Read the Imperial Palace guide.
Good to know
- What is the address of Nashinoki Shrine?
- 680 Somedono-cho, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto (in Japanese: 京都市上京区染殿町680).
- What are the opening hours of Nashinoki Shrine?
- Daily 9:00 to 17:00. Amulet office 9:00 to 16:30, closed 12:15 to 13:15.
- How do I get to Nashinoki Shrine?
- The nearest station is Furitsu-Idai-Byoin-mae bus stop (City Bus 4, 17, 205). Nashinoki Shrine is in Imperial Palace, Kyoto.
- How much does Nashinoki Shrine cost?
- Nothing. Nashinoki Shrine is free to visit.
- How long do you need at Nashinoki Shrine?
- Plan for 20 min.
- When is the best time to visit Nashinoki Shrine?
- Late September, for the bush clover.
Stay near Nashinoki Shrine
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