Shisen-do
Ginkakuji, Kyoto
- Daily
- 9:00 to 17:00
Last entry 16:45. Closed on 23 May.
Source: kyoto-shisendo.net, checked 11 Oct 2026.
The retreat where the poet Ishikawa Jozan (1583 to 1672) spent his last years, now a temple under Eihei-ji of the Soto Zen sect. At its heart are portraits of 36 Chinese poets by Kano Tanyu, each with a poem above it in Jozan's hand. Out in the garden you'll hear the knock of a bamboo shishi-odoshi, a device Jozan is credited with inventing.
Insider tip
Entry is ¥700 (high school ¥500, elementary and junior high ¥300). The garden has satsuki azaleas and fresh maple leaves in spring, and the whole garden turns in autumn. It's closed on 23 May.
What's on near Shisen-do
Upcoming events within a ten-minute walk of Shisen-do, from the weekly Kyoto events calendar.
Enko-ji Autumn Leaves Opening
圓光寺 紅葉特別拝観
Time 9:00 to 17:00 Station Ichijoji (Eizan Railway), 15 min walk
Northern Kyoto's cold gives Enko-ji strong autumn colour, and for this season you need a timed ticket, bookable online from 20 Oct. Walk-ins get in only if there's space left on the day, and the car park is closed.
Fire-walking Festival at Tanukidani-san Fudo-in
火渡り祭（狸谷山不動院）
Time From 19:00 Station Ichijoji-sagarimatsu-cho bus stop (City Bus 5)
The fire festival on the fourth Saturday of July starts with a goma fire rite in the main hall, then about 20 yamabushi mountain ascetics in their robes process down to the fire-walking ground to the sound of conch shells.
Nearby
Around Ginkakuji
Temple gardens along a canal path, under the Daimonji hill
Get to Ginkaku-ji for its 8:30 opening, because the temple fills up as the day goes on. Then walk south on the Philosopher's Path, about 1.8 km of stone path beside a branch of the Lake Biwa Canal, and turn off it for the temples on either side. Honen-in's grounds open at 6:00, and you don't pay to go in.
Ginkakuji has 15 places on the Roam Kyoto map: 7 shrines and temples, 2 museums, 2 restaurants, 1 viewpoint, 1 shop, 1 neighbourhood and 1 bathhouse. Read the Ginkakuji guide.
Good to know
- What is the address of Shisen-do?
- 27 Ichijoji Monguchi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto (in Japanese: 京都市左京区一乗寺門口町27番地).
- What are the opening hours of Shisen-do?
- Daily 9:00 to 17:00. Last entry 16:45. Closed on 23 May.
- How do I get to Shisen-do?
- The nearest station is Ichijoji-sagarimatsu-cho bus stop (City Bus 5, Kita 8). Shisen-do is in Ginkakuji, Kyoto.
- How much does Shisen-do cost?
- Shisen-do is cheap, marked ¥ on the site's price scale.
- How long do you need at Shisen-do?
- Plan for 45 min.
- When is the best time to visit Shisen-do?
- Weekday mornings.
Stay near Shisen-do
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