Senbon Shakado
Kitano, Kyoto
- Daily
- 9:00 to 17:00
Last entry to the treasure hall is 16:00.
Source: daihoonji.jp, checked 11 Oct 2026.
Senbon Shakado's main hall went up in 1227 and came through centuries of wars and fires, so it's the oldest building in central Kyoto and a National Treasure. The treasure hall holds Kaikei's Ten Great Disciples and Jokei's Six Kannon of 1224. Look for the Okame mound, a memorial to the master carpenter's wife, whose idea saved the hall after he cut a pillar too short.
Insider tip
The grounds are free, but the main hall and treasure hall charge entry, and you'll need to be in the treasure hall by 16:00. On 7 and 8 December 2026 the temple serves steaming daikon radish at its Jodo-e, eaten as a prayer for good health.
What's on at Senbon Shakado
Upcoming events at Senbon Shakado and within a ten-minute walk, from the weekly Kyoto events calendar.
Daikon-daki at Senbon Shakado
成道会法要と大根（だいこ）焚き
Time 10:00 to 16:00 Station Kamishichiken bus stop (City Bus 50), 3 min walk
Daikon radishes marked with Sanskrit letters are blessed, cut into rounds and simmered with fried tofu in huge pots, and a bowl is said to keep illness away. The temple holds it on 7 and 8 Dec to mark the Buddha's enlightenment.
Hyppolyte de Saint-Rambert, CC BY-SA 4.0 Okame Setsubun at Senbon Shakado
おかめ福節分会（千本釈迦堂）
Time Rites and bean throwing from about 15:00 Station Kamishichiken bus stop (City Bus 50, 55, 203)
Setsubun at the temple of Okame, the carpenter's wife whose advice saved the main hall: a kyogen demon-chasing play in which her good fortune makes the demons bow, then bean throwing with the actors and maiko.
Hyppolyte de Saint-Rambert, CC BY-SA 4.0 Pottery Fair at Senbon Shakado
陶器市（千本釈迦堂）
Time 10:00 to sunset Station Kamishichiken bus stop (City Bus 50)
Pottery sellers from around Japan fill the temple grounds for four days, with a handmade market alongside from 10:00 to 16:00 and a memorial service for pottery in the main hall on the 10th.
Hyppolyte de Saint-Rambert, CC BY-SA 4.0 Kitano Odori
北野をどり
Time 14:00 and 16:30 (doors open an hour before) Station Kitano Tenmangu-mae bus stop (City Bus 50, 51, 55, 203), 3 min walk
Kamishichiken, Kyoto's oldest geisha district, opens the spring dance season in the Kamishichiken Kaburenjo, a Japanese-style theatre that's not normally open to the public. Each show runs about 90 minutes.
mrhayata, CC BY-SA 2.0 Kamishichiken Kotobuki-kai Dance Recital
上七軒 寿会
Time 16:00 (doors 15:30) Station Kitano Tenmangu-mae or Kamishichiken bus stop (City Bus 50), 3 min walk
Kamishichiken, which grew from seven teahouses at Kitano Tenmangu's gate, holds its annual recital at the Kaburenjo, a programme of nagauta dances by its geiko and maiko. Tickets are ¥10,000, and children under school age aren't admitted.
mrhayata, CC BY-SA 2.0 Nearby
Around Kitano
Tenjin's head shrine, Kyoto's oldest geisha district and Daitoku-ji
Start at Kitano Tenmangu, head shrine of about 12,000 Tenjin shrines, founded in 947 for Sugawara no Michizane, the scholar students still pray to before exams. Come on the 25th, when the Tenjin-san Market fills the approach and the lanterns are lit after dark. Kamishichiken, Kyoto's oldest geisha district, lines the shrine's east approach, and Daitoku-ji's Zen temples are about 1.7 km north-east.
Kitano has 25 places on the Roam Kyoto map: 10 shrines and temples, 3 cafes, 3 shops, 2 restaurants, 2 bathhouses, 1 viewpoint, 1 neighbourhood, 1 museum, 1 bar and 1 market. Read the Kitano guide.
Good to know
- What is the address of Senbon Shakado?
- Mizomae-cho, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto (in Japanese: 京都市上京区五辻通六軒町西入溝前町).
- What are the opening hours of Senbon Shakado?
- Daily 9:00 to 17:00. Last entry to the treasure hall is 16:00.
- How do I get to Senbon Shakado?
- The nearest station is Kamishichiken bus stop (City Bus 10, 50, 51, 55, 203). Senbon Shakado is in Kitano, Kyoto.
- How much does Senbon Shakado cost?
- Senbon Shakado is cheap, marked ¥ on the site's price scale.
- How long do you need at Senbon Shakado?
- Plan for 45 min.
- When is the best time to visit Senbon Shakado?
- 7 and 8 December.
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