To-ji Kobo-ichi Market
Kyoto Station, Kyoto
Source: toji.or.jp, checked 11 Oct 2026.
On the 21st of every month, Kobo-san's day, nearly 1,000 stalls fill To-ji's grounds. It started over 700 years ago as tea stalls for pilgrims at the monthly Mieku service for Kukai. Then came stalls selling dango, firewood, charcoal and pots.
Insider tip
Stalls start setting up when the gates open at 5:00, and nearly all of them are trading by about 8:00. Packing up starts around 16:00, earlier if it rains. There's no parking at To-ji on market days. The Mieku service starts at 10:00 in the Miedo.
What the guides say about To-ji Kobo-ichi Market
16. To-ji on the 21st. Nearly 1,000 stalls fill the grounds for the Kobo-ichi Market. They set up from 5:00, nearly all are trading by 8:00, and packing up starts around 16:00, earlier if it rains. To-ji is all that still stands of Heian-kyo, the capital founded in 794, and its pagoda, about 55 m tall, was rebuilt in 1644.
What's on near To-ji Kobo-ichi Market
Upcoming events within a ten-minute walk of To-ji Kobo-ichi Market, from the weekly Kyoto events calendar.
Garakuta-ichi at To-ji
ガラクタ市（東寺）
Station Toji (Kintetsu Kyoto Line), 10 min walk
To-ji's smaller monthly market of antiques and handmade goods, held on the first Sunday rather than the big Kobo-ichi on the 21st.
Kobo-ichi Market at To-ji
弘法市（東寺）
Time About 5:00 to 16:00 Station Toji (Kintetsu Kyoto Line), 10 min walk
On the 21st of every month, Kukai's memorial day, about 1,200 to 1,300 stalls fill To-ji's grounds with antiques, old kimono and secondhand odds and ends, and about 200,000 people come. Most stallholders are dealers with shops elsewhere, it goes ahead in the rain, and stalls open from about 5:00, so come early if you're hunting for something.
Autumn Light-up and Night Opening at To-ji
紅葉ライトアップと金堂・講堂夜間特別拝観（東寺）
Time 18:00 to 21:30 (last entry 21:00) Station Toji (Kintetsu Kyoto Line), 10 min walk
To-ji lights up its autumn maples and opens the Kondo and Kodo halls, with their Buddhist statues, after dark every night of the season. It was ¥1,000 in 2026.
Cherry Blossom Light-up at To-ji
夜桜ライトアップ・金堂講堂夜間特別拝観（東寺）
Time 18:00 to 21:30 (last entry 21:00) Station Toji (Kintetsu Kyoto Line), 10 min walk, or 15 min on foot from Kyoto Station
The five-storey pagoda, Japan's tallest wooden tower, is lit with the Fuji-zakura weeping cherry beside it, and the Kondo and Kodo halls open at night. It's a 15-minute walk from Kyoto Station.
To-ji Treasure Hall Spring Opening
春の特別公開 宝物館（東寺）
Time 9:00 to 17:00 (last entry 16:30) Station Toji (Kintetsu Kyoto Line), 10 min walk, or 15 min on foot from Kyoto Station
The treasure hall opens for a spring exhibition from To-ji's collection, built round a new theme each year. In 2026 it was To-ji in the Muromachi period, with its estates and documents.
Nearby
Around Kyoto Station
Free temples and late ramen a few minutes from the platforms
Most visitors only see Kyoto Station on the way in or out, which is a shame. Higashi Hongan-ji is 7 minutes north on foot and free, To-ji's pagoda is 15 minutes south, and at the railway museum to the west a working steam engine will pull you along. After dark, 15,000 LEDs light the station's 171-step staircase.
Kyoto Station has 23 places on the Roam Kyoto map: 4 shrines and temples, 4 museums, 3 restaurants, 2 shops, 2 cafes, 2 parks and gardens, 2 bathhouses, 1 bar, 1 landmark, 1 viewpoint and 1 market. Read the Kyoto Station guide.
Good to know
- What is the address of To-ji Kobo-ichi Market?
- 1 Kujo-cho, Minami-ku, Kyoto (in Japanese: 京都市南区九条町1番地).
- How do I get to To-ji Kobo-ichi Market?
- The nearest station is Toji (Kintetsu Kyoto Line). To-ji Kobo-ichi Market is in Kyoto Station, Kyoto.
- How much does To-ji Kobo-ichi Market cost?
- Nothing. To-ji Kobo-ichi Market is free to visit.
- How long do you need at To-ji Kobo-ichi Market?
- Plan for 1-2 hours.
- When is the best time to visit To-ji Kobo-ichi Market?
- The 21st, from 8am.
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