Temple

Seigan-ji

Kawaramachi, Kyoto

Address
453 Sakuranocho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 〒604-8035 京都府京都市中京区新京極桜之町453（新京極通り六角下る）
Hours
Daily
9:00 to 17:00

Source: ja.kyoto.travel, checked 11 Oct 2026.

The front of Seigan-ji on Shinkyogoku, with red pillars, white paper lanterns and a stone marker before the hall
Photo: Hyppolyte de Saint-Rambert / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Seigan-ji, halfway along Shinkyogoku, is the head temple of the Jodo Seizan Fukakusa school, founded more than 1,300 years ago at Emperor Tenji's wish and moved several times before it settled here. Sei Shonagon and Izumi Shikibu were followers, and it's linked to Sakuden, the priest called the founder of rakugo, so performers come to pray to get better at their art. Outside the gate stands a stone signpost from 1882 where people pinned notes about lost children and lost things.

Nearest station Kyoto-Kawaramachi (Hankyu)
Cost Free
Time needed 20 min
Best time Daytime

Insider tip

Each October the temple holds a rakugo show in Sakuden's memory (10 October in 2026). Its monthly goshuin follow a series of Izumi Shikibu's poems.

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What's on near Seigan-ji

Upcoming events within a ten-minute walk of Seigan-ji, from the weekly Kyoto events calendar.

Performance Starts in 3 days ¥5,000 to ¥10,000

Pontocho Suimeikai Dance Recital

第111回 水明会

15 to 20 Oct Pontocho Kaburenjo, Kawaramachi

Time 15:30 (doors 15:00) Station Sanjo (Keihan), 5 min walk

Pontocho's geiko have staged this dance recital since 1930, named after the clear water of the Kamo River, with tokiwazu, kiyomoto and nagauta pieces. Reserved seats are ¥10,000 or ¥8,000 and unreserved ones ¥5,000.

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The brick Pontocho Kaburenjo theatre seen from the Kamo River bank, its green tiled roofs above the riverside path Mariemon, CC BY-SA 3.0
Performance ¥4,000 to ¥7,000

Kamogawa Odori

鴨川をどり

5 to 22 May (dates to be confirmed) Pontocho Kaburenjo, Kawaramachi

Time 12:30, 14:20 and 16:10 Station Sanjo (Keihan Line), 5 min walk from exit 6

Pontocho's geiko and maiko in a dance drama and then a set of pure dance, in the 1927 Pontocho Kaburenjo by the river. First staged in 1872, it's been performed more times than any other Kyoto geisha show.

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The brick Pontocho Kaburenjo theatre seen from the Kamo River bank, its green tiled roofs above the riverside path Mariemon, CC BY-SA 3.0
Performance ¥¥¥

Suimei-kai Recital of Pontocho

水明会（先斗町）

15 to 20 Oct (dates to be confirmed) Pontocho Kaburenjo, Kawaramachi

Time 15:30 (doors 15:00) Station Sanjo (Keihan), 5 min walk

Pontocho's geiko recital, held since 1930 and named after the clear water of the Kamo River. Reserved seats were ¥10,000 and ¥8,000 and unreserved ones ¥5,000 in 2026.

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The brick Pontocho Kaburenjo theatre seen from the Kamo River bank, its green tiled roofs above the riverside path Mariemon, CC BY-SA 3.0
Food event

Kamogawa Noryo-yuka Riverside Terraces

鴨川納涼床

1 May to 15 Oct (dates to be confirmed) Riverside restaurants in Kiyamachi, Pontocho and Saiseki, Kawaramachi

Station Sanjo or Gion-Shijo (Keihan Line)

From 1 May the restaurants along the river in Kiyamachi, Pontocho and Saiseki serve on outdoor terraces looking across the Kamogawa to the Higashiyama hills, until 15 October. Some stop at the end of September, and breakfast, lunch and hours vary by restaurant.

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The narrow Pontocho alley in Kyoto lined with restaurants and red plover lanterns Domenico Convertini, CC BY-SA 2.0
Anime and games

Medalist Exhibition

メダリスト展

20 Feb to 11 Apr Museum of Kyoto, Shijo-Karasuma

Time 10:00 to 18:00, Fridays to 19:30 (last entry 30 min before) Station Karasuma Oike (Karasuma Line, Tozai Line), 3 min walk from exit 5

An exhibition on Tsurumaikada's figure skating manga Medalist, with new illustrations drawn for it, famous scenes from the manga, sets that recreate its world and picks from the TV anime. It fills the museum's third and fourth floor galleries.

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The red brick annex of the Museum of Kyoto, a former bank building on Sanjo-dori Photograph by Mike Peel www.mikepeel.net., CC BY-SA 4.0

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Nearby

Kaneyo Food · right here Kaneyo has grilled eel on Rokkaku-dori, just east of Shinkyogoku, since 1912, in a building from the early Taisho years that lost its third floor to... Teramachi and Shinkyogoku Arcades Shopping · 1 min walk Shinkyogoku was cut through old temple grounds in 1872 and runs from Sanjo to Shijo, with Teramachi parallel one street west. Mishima-tei Food · 2 min walk Mishima-tei has served sukiyaki on the corner of Teramachi and Sanjo since 1873, when its founder came back from learning beef hot pot in Nagasaki. Katsukura Sanjo Food · 2 min walk Katsukura is the Kyoto-born tonkatsu chain, and this is its main store on Sanjo-dori just east of Teramachi, set back down a long entrance passage. Rokuyosha Coffee Cafe · 2 min walk Rokuyosha is two separate coffee rooms on Kawaramachi-dori just south of Sanjo. Smart Coffee Cafe · 3 min walk Smart Coffee, on Teramachi just north of Sanjo, opened in 1932 as Smart Lunch, and it still roasts its own beans the way it did then.

Around Kawaramachi

Downtown Kyoto, between Nishiki Market and the Kamo River

Kawaramachi is downtown Kyoto, the shopping streets round the Shijo-Kawaramachi crossing. The Teramachi and Shinkyogoku Arcades run north from Shijo-dori, Nishiki Market runs west from them, and east of Kawaramachi-dori the Takase canal and Pontocho squeeze in before the Kamo River. You'll come here to eat, mostly. Some of the tea, incense and paper shops date from the Edo period.

Kawaramachi has 26 places on the Roam Kyoto map: 5 shops, 4 cafes, 4 restaurants, 3 shrines and temples, 3 landmarks, 2 bars, 2 neighbourhoods, 1 park or garden, 1 market and 1 bathhouse. Read the Kawaramachi guide.

Good to know

What is the address of Seigan-ji?
453 Sakuranocho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto (in Japanese: 京都府京都市中京区新京極桜之町453（新京極通り六角下る）).
What are the opening hours of Seigan-ji?
Daily 9:00 to 17:00.
How do I get to Seigan-ji?
The nearest station is Kyoto-Kawaramachi (Hankyu). Seigan-ji is in Kawaramachi, Kyoto.
How much does Seigan-ji cost?
Nothing. Seigan-ji is free to visit.
How long do you need at Seigan-ji?
Plan for 20 min.
When is the best time to visit Seigan-ji?
Daytime.

Stay near Seigan-ji

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