Shinsen-en
Nijo, Kyoto
- Daily
- 7:00 to 20:00
The temple office (amulets and goshuin) opens 9:00 to 17:00.
Source: shinsenen.org, checked 11 Oct 2026.
Shinsen-en is what's left of the imperial garden laid out in 794 beside the Heian palace, a spring-fed pond with a shrine to the dragon king Zennyo Ryuo, now a Toji Shingon temple just south of Nijo Castle. Kukai is said to have prayed for rain on its shore in 824, and the rite held here in 869 to ward off disaster, with 66 halberds, one for each province, grew into the Gion Festival. When Tokugawa Ieyasu built the castle he took the spring to fill his moats, and the garden lost its northern grounds.
Insider tip
The temple keeps ducks on the pond, and four ducklings arrived in May 2026. Don't feed them bread, rice or snacks, which the temple says make them ill. Masked Kyogen plays without words are staged on 7 and 8 November in 2026 from 13:00, no booking and by donation. On New Year's Eve at 22:30 the little Eho-sha shrine is turned to face the coming year's lucky direction.
What's on at Shinsen-en
Upcoming events at Shinsen-en and within a ten-minute walk, from the weekly Kyoto events calendar.
Shinsen-en Dainenbutsu Kyogen
神泉苑大念佛狂言
Time 13:00 to about 17:30 Station Nijojo-mae (Tozai Line), 1 min walk
The local kyogen society, performing since 1903, puts on five or six silent masked plays a day to gongs, drums and flutes on the stage by Shinsen-en's pond, and the programme is chosen on the day. Tsuchigumo, where the spider throws its threads over the audience, is the favourite. Entry is by donation, the seats are outdoors and you can't take photos during the plays.
Jason Riedy, CC BY 2.0 Nijo Castle Cherry Blossom Festival
二条城桜まつり
Time 8:45 to 17:00 (last entry 16:00), light-up 18:00 to 22:00 Station Nijojo-mae (Tozai Line), right outside the station
About 300 cherry trees of 50 kinds flower in turn through the festival. By day there's a stamp rally and a fair of Kyoto products, and the evening light-up runs on its own ticket.
Pom', CC BY-SA 2.0 Nijo-jo Matsuri and Autumn Light-up
二条城まつり
Time Light-up 18:00 to 22:00 (last entry 21:00) Station Nijojo-mae (Tozai Line), 1 min walk
Nijo Castle's autumn festival, with a Kyoto specialty goods fair and other events by day, and an evening light-up and art show in the grounds. In 2026 the night ticket was ¥2,000 Monday to Thursday and ¥2,400 Friday to Sunday, separate from day entry, and free for junior high students and under.
Pom', CC BY-SA 2.0 Nijo Castle Autumn Light-up (NAKED meets Nijo-jo 2026)
二条城まつり2026 NAKED meets 二条城 2026
Time 18:00 to 22:00 (last entry 21:00) Station Nijojo-mae (Tozai Line), 1 min walk
For the 400th anniversary of the Kan'ei imperial visit, the castle's night light-up is an art show by NAKED built around Tokugawa Masako and Kan'ei-era design, with maples, ginkgo and cherry trees lit along the way. Tickets are ¥2,000 Monday to Thursday and ¥2,400 Friday to Sunday and on holidays (¥400 less if bought by 22 Oct), and children up to junior high school get in free.
Pom', CC BY-SA 2.0 Nearby
Around Nijo
The shogun's castle, with the Shinsengumi's Mibu a walk south
Most people come for Nijo Castle, and it's worth its two hours. Tokugawa Ieyasu built it in 1603, and its Ninomaru Palace is the only palace complex still standing inside a Japanese castle. Then walk south, past a pond garden first laid out in 794 and an 800 m covered shopping street, to the temple in Mibu where the Shinsengumi trained.
Nijo has 17 places on the Roam Kyoto map: 5 shrines and temples, 3 landmarks, 3 shops, 2 restaurants, 1 bar, 1 cafe, 1 museum and 1 bathhouse. Read the Nijo guide.
Good to know
- What is the address of Shinsen-en?
- 167 Monzen-cho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto (in Japanese: 京都市中京区御池通神泉苑町東入る門前町167).
- What are the opening hours of Shinsen-en?
- Daily 7:00 to 20:00. The temple office (amulets and goshuin) opens 9:00 to 17:00.
- How do I get to Shinsen-en?
- The nearest station is Nijojo-mae (Tozai Line). Shinsen-en is in Nijo, Kyoto.
- How much does Shinsen-en cost?
- Nothing. Shinsen-en is free to visit.
- How long do you need at Shinsen-en?
- Plan for 30 min.
- When is the best time to visit Shinsen-en?
- Early morning.
Stay near Shinsen-en
Browse live availability and compare prices around Nijo.
See hotels near Shinsen-en 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.