Shunko-in
Kinkakuji, Kyoto
Source: shunkoin.com, checked 11 Oct 2026.
Shunko-in is a Myoshin-ji subtemple founded in 1590 by Horio Yoshiharu, later the first lord of Matsue. It keeps the Nanbanji bell, an Important Cultural Property, and a front garden laid out to stand for the Ise shrines and Ise Bay. The temple and garden aren't open for ordinary visits, so you come here for Zen sessions in English with the priest Takafumi Zenryu Kawakami.
Insider tip
Everything is by reservation, through links on the temple's website. The Kissako session is two hours of tea, seated meditation and conversation in English, and you don't need any meditation experience. It costs ¥20,000 a person before tax. The temple also runs private sessions and overnight stays.
What's on near Shunko-in
Upcoming events within a ten-minute walk of Shunko-in, from the weekly Kyoto events calendar.
Sal Tree Flower Viewing at Torin-in
沙羅の花を愛でる会（東林院）
Time 9:30 to 15:00 (last entry 14:30) Station Hanazono (JR Sagano Line), 8 min walk
This Myoshin-ji subtemple opens while the sal trees in front of its hall are in white flower. You sit with matcha and a sweet for ¥1,600, or add a vegetarian temple meal for ¥6,300, no booking needed.
Kentaro Ohno, CC BY 2.0 Ninna-ji 'Sea of Clouds' Autumn Light-up
世界遺産仁和寺 紅葉雲海ライトアップ
Time Fri, Sat, Sun and holidays, 18:30 to 21:00 (entry 18:00 to 20:30) Station Omuro-Ninnaji bus stop (City Bus 26), 1 min walk
Ninna-ji lights its autumn maples above a 'sea of clouds', with a 528 Hz 'healing sound garden' playing. It runs on Fridays, weekends and holidays only, not on 8 or 28 Nov, and high school students and younger get in free.
josef knecht, CC BY 3.0 Omuro Flower Festival at Ninna-ji
御室花まつり（仁和寺）
Time 8:30 to 17:30 (last entry 30 min before) Station Omuro-Ninnaji (Randen), about 3 min walk
Ninna-ji's Omuro cherries, a protected Place of Scenic Beauty, are at their best in early to mid April, with azaleas and then new maple leaves after them. The grounds charge a special entry fee during the festival.
josef knecht, CC BY 3.0 Lotus Viewing at Hokongo-in
観蓮会（法金剛院）
Time 7:30 to 12:30 (last entry 12:00) Station Hanazono (JR Sagano Line)
About 90 kinds of lotus, Oga lotus among them, flower in the pond of the temple's paradise garden, a designated scenic spot, and it opens early in the morning for the viewing.
Autumn Cloud-sea Light-up at Ninna-ji
紅葉雲海ライトアップ（仁和寺）
Time 18:30 to 21:00 (last entry 20:30) Station Omuro-Ninnaji (Randen Kitano Line)
Ninna-ji lights its autumn maples on Friday to Sunday and holiday evenings, with mist rolling through the grounds like a sea of clouds and music played in the garden. It was ¥2,800 in 2026, free for high school students and under.
josef knecht, CC BY 3.0 Nearby
Around Kinkakuji
Three World Heritage temples on one road under Mount Kinugasa
Kinkaku-ji, Ryoan-ji and Ninna-ji all sit on Kinukake-no-Michi, a road that climbs about 2.5 km from Omuro-Ninnaji Station up to the Golden Pavilion. Start at Ryoan-ji, which opens at 8:00 from March to November, an hour before Kinkaku-ji. South of the road, Myoshin-ji's grounds don't close at all, and they hold more than 40 subtemples.
Kinkakuji has 14 places on the Roam Kyoto map: 9 shrines and temples, 2 museums, 1 cafe, 1 restaurant and 1 viewpoint. Read the Kinkakuji guide.
Good to know
- What is the address of Shunko-in?
- 42 Hanazono Myoshinji-cho, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto (in Japanese: 京都市右京区花園妙心寺町42).
- How do I get to Shunko-in?
- The nearest station is Myoshinji Kitamon-mae bus stop (City Bus 10, 26). Shunko-in is in Kinkakuji, Kyoto.
- How much does Shunko-in cost?
- Shunko-in is at the higher end, marked ¥¥¥ on the site's price scale.
- How long do you need at Shunko-in?
- Plan for 2 hours.
- When is the best time to visit Shunko-in?
- By reservation.
Stay near Shunko-in
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