Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka
Higashiyama, Kyoto
Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka are the stone-stepped, bending lanes that pilgrims have used for centuries to reach Kiyomizu-dera and Yasaka Shrine. The townhouses along them date from the late Edo period to the Taisho era, and with the Yasaka Pagoda and Kodai-ji close by, the whole area is a protected historic district.
More photos of Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka
Insider tip
Walking the lanes is free. At the top, Sannenzaka joins Kiyomizu-zaka and the pottery shops of Gojozaka, and Kiyomizu-dera is just ahead.
What the guides say about Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka
2. Kiyomizu-dera at 6:00. Get there when the gates open and you'll be on the wooden stage long before the day's crowds. It's about 13 metres high on eighteen zelkova pillars, and the joints don't use a single nail. City Bus 100 or 206 to Gojozaka leaves you a 10-minute walk away. Afterwards, walk down Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka, stone-stepped lanes of late Edo and Taisho townhouses near the Yasaka Pagoda. The Higashiyama guide has more.
This site's Higashiyama is the slope from Kiyomizu-dera down to Shichijo-dori. The temple's gates open at 6:00, so if you're sleeping on the hill you can be on its wooden stage long before the crowds, then walk Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka before the shops open. As in Gion, the tourism association lists long-standing ryokan and luxury hotels.
What's on near Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka
Upcoming events within a ten-minute walk of Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka, from the weekly Kyoto events calendar.
Ryoma Festival
龍馬祭
Time 15:30 Station Higashiyama Yasui bus stop (City Bus 86, 206), 7 min walk
On the anniversary of Sakamoto Ryoma's death, fans gather at his grave above Higashiyama, and shamo chicken hotpot, the dish he was about to eat the night he was killed, is offered and shared with visitors. The festival is free, but the grave area costs ¥300.
Oilstreet, CC BY 2.5 Spring Night Viewing at Kodai-ji
春の夜間特別拝観（高台寺）
Time 17:00 to 21:30 (gates close 22:00) Station Higashiyama Yasui bus stop (City Bus 206), 7 min walk
Hideyoshi's widow Nene's temple lights its garden for spring evenings: the Garyu pond and the bamboo grove past the Kasa-tei and Shigure-tei tea houses are the ones to see. You follow the same route as by day.
Tetsuhiro Terada, CC BY 2.0 Autumn Night Viewing at Kodai-ji
秋の夜間特別拝観（高台寺）
Time 9:00 to 22:00, lit from 17:00 (last entry 21:30) Station Higashiyama Yasui bus stop (City Bus 206, 207)
Kodai-ji stays open after dark through the autumn season, with the grounds lit from 17:00. One ticket covers day and night, ¥800 for adults in 2026, but you can't go back in once you've left.
Tetsuhiro Terada, CC BY 2.0 Seiryu-e Blue Dragon Procession at Kiyomizu-dera (March)
青龍会（清水寺）
Time About 14:00 to 15:30 Station Gojozaka bus stop (City Bus 100, 206) or Kiyomizu-michi (City Bus 207)
An 18 m blue dragon leads a procession in ceremonial robes from the Okunoin past the Otowa waterfall and down into the shops of the approach, then back up through the Niomon gate to the main hall. You can watch it free from the street.
ito1117, CC BY-SA 3.0 Kiyomizu-dera Spring Night Viewing
清水寺 春の夜間特別拝観
Time Open to 21:30 (last entry 21:00) Station Gojozaka bus stop (City Bus 100, 206) or Kiyomizu-michi (City Bus 207)
The temple stays open to 21:30 while its 1,500 or so cherries are out, and a blue beam of light from the grounds shines out over the city. No booking needed.
ito1117, CC BY-SA 3.0 Nearby
Around Higashiyama
Kiyomizu-dera at opening, then the temples and pottery below it
Higashiyama is a whole ward, but this guide covers the slope from Kiyomizu-dera down to Shichijo-dori. Go early. The temple's gates open at 6:00, and if you're there then, you'll reach its wooden stage long before the day's crowds. Later, walk down past the pottery shops of Gojozaka to Sanjusangendo, where 1,001 statues of Kannon stand in a hall 120 metres long.
Higashiyama has 22 places on the Roam Kyoto map: 10 shrines and temples, 4 shops, 2 museums, 2 neighbourhoods, 1 cafe, 1 viewpoint, 1 restaurant and 1 landmark. Read the Higashiyama guide.
Good to know
- How do I get to Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka?
- The nearest station is Higashiyama-Yasui bus stop (City Bus 206). Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka is in Higashiyama, Kyoto.
- How much does Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka cost?
- Nothing. Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka is free to visit.
- How long do you need at Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka?
- Plan for 45 min.
- When is the best time to visit Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka?
- Early morning.
Stay near Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka
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