Shokoku-ji
Imperial Palace, Kyoto
Source: shokoku-ji.jp, checked 11 Oct 2026.
Shokoku-ji heads its own branch of Rinzai Zen, which also takes in Kinkaku-ji and Ginkaku-ji, and the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu had it built, finished in 1392. Its Dharma Hall, rebuilt in 1605, is the oldest lecture hall of its kind in Japan. On the ceiling is Kano Mitsunobu's dragon, about 9 m across, known as the crying dragon.
Insider tip
The halls open only in spring and autumn (in 2026, 25 March to 2 June and 26 September to 15 December), and entry is ¥1,000. The ticket covers the Dharma Hall, the abbot's quarters and the Founder's Hall. The Jotenkaku Museum on the grounds needs its own ticket.
What's on at Shokoku-ji
Upcoming events at Shokoku-ji and within a ten-minute walk, from the weekly Kyoto events calendar.
Shokoku-ji Autumn Special Opening
相国寺 秋の特別拝観
Time 10:00 to 16:00 Station Imadegawa (Karasuma Line)
Shokoku-ji opens its Hatto, the oldest surviving Dharma hall in Japan, along with the abbot's quarters and the founder's hall. Look up at the 'crying dragon' Kano Mitsunobu painted on the Hatto ceiling. It's closed for services from 18 to 21 Oct.
663highland, CC BY-SA 4.0 Maruyama Okyo and Ito Jakuchu
「円山応挙と伊藤若冲」
Time 10:00 to 17:00 (last entry 16:30) Station Imadegawa (Karasuma Line), exit 3, 8 min walk
Okyo's Peony and Peacock (first half of the autumn period) and his Great Waterfall, over 3.6 m tall (second half), hang alongside all 50 of Jakuchu's ink panels from the great study room of Kinkaku-ji, where he shows what he could do without colour. It's closed for New Year from 27 Dec to 8 Jan.
663highland, CC BY 2.5 Shokoku-ji Spring Special Opening
春の特別拝観（相国寺）
Time 10:00 to 16:30 (last entry 16:00) Station Imadegawa (Karasuma Line), 8 min walk
The Hatto hall opens with Kano Mitsunobu's crying dragon painted on its ceiling, along with the abbot's quarters and the founder's hall.
663highland, CC BY-SA 4.0 Goryo Matsuri at Kamigoryo Shrine
御霊祭 還幸祭（上御霊神社）
Time Rite 11:30, procession from 13:00 Station Kuramaguchi (Karasuma Line)
Three mikoshi, an ox-drawn imperial cart and halberd floats tour the parish, and since 2009 the procession passes through the Imperial Palace park again. It's said to keep the oldest form of a goryo-e festival.
Naokijp, CC BY-SA 4.0 Nearby
Around Imperial Palace
Free palace walks, a park that never shuts, and the court's old shops
Kyoto Gyoen, a park 1.3 km long in central Kyoto, never closes. The Kyoto Imperial Palace sits inside it, and you can walk round it for free without booking. Around the edges you'll find Shokoku-ji (head of the Zen branch that takes in Kinkaku-ji), the house site where The Tale of Genji was written, and shops that once supplied the court.
Imperial Palace has 23 places on the Roam Kyoto map: 6 shrines and temples, 5 landmarks, 3 museums, 2 cafes, 2 restaurants, 2 shops, 2 parks and gardens and 1 bar. Read the Imperial Palace guide.
Good to know
- What is the address of Shokoku-ji?
- Imadegawa-dori Karasuma Higashi-iru, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto (in Japanese: 京都市上京区今出川通烏丸東入).
- How do I get to Shokoku-ji?
- The nearest station is Imadegawa (Karasuma Line). Shokoku-ji is in Imperial Palace, Kyoto.
- How much does Shokoku-ji cost?
- Shokoku-ji is cheap, marked ¥ on the site's price scale.
- How long do you need at Shokoku-ji?
- Plan for 1 hour.
- When is the best time to visit Shokoku-ji?
- During the autumn opening.
Stay near Shokoku-ji
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