Honen-in
Ginkakuji, Kyoto
- Daily
- 6:00 to 16:00
The path to the main hall is open unless a service is on. The halls and garden open only 1 to 7 April and 18 to 24 November, 9:30 to 16:00.
Source: honen-in.jp, checked 11 Oct 2026.
Honen-in is a short climb east of the Philosopher's Path, on the spot where Honen, founder of the Jodo sect, kept a hermitage with his disciples Anraku and Juren. The present temple dates from 1680. You walk in through a thatched gate between two mounds of white sand, the byakusadan, and the patterns drawn in them change with the seasons.
Insider tip
The grounds are free and open from 6:00, but you can't go inside the halls (you pray from the veranda). The garden, the painted screens and the courtyard of camellias open only from 1 to 7 April and 18 to 24 November, for ¥800. The old bathhouse from 1694 is now a lecture hall that hosts exhibitions and concerts.
What the guides say about Honen-in
18. Watch for special openings. Many temples open halls, gardens and treasures only for set weeks. Kyoto's Winter Special Openings ran from 9 January to 18 March in 2026, at ¥800 a site at most of them. This autumn, Chion-in's Sanmon gate opens from 31 October to 13 November (¥1,000) and Honen-in's garden from 18 to 24 November (¥800), and you'll need a booking for Rurikoin from 13 November to 6 December. The events page has the dates.
7. Ginkaku-ji and the Philosopher's Path. Ginkaku-ji opens at 8:30 (9:00 from December to February) and has cost ¥1,000 since April 2026. Then walk south on the path, about 1.8 km of stone beside a branch of the Lake Biwa Canal, roughly 30 minutes at an easy pace. Turn off for Honen-in, free from 6:00, where you walk in between two mounds of white sand.
What's on at Honen-in
Upcoming events at Honen-in and within a ten-minute walk, from the weekly Kyoto events calendar.
Honen-in Small Bonsai Exhibition (Hiroki-ten)
第21回「広樹展」小品盆栽 in 法然院
Time 10:00 to 16:00 Station City Bus 5 to Jodoji, about 10 min walk; or City Bus 32 to Minamida-cho, 5 min walk
A two-day show of small bonsai in the Hojo hall, free to view.
Tetsuhiro Terada, CC BY 2.0 Honen-in Faust (Gekko Parade touring theatre)
ゲッコーパレード出張公演 家を渉る劇vol.7『法然院ファウスト』
Time 18:00 (doors 17:30) Station City bus stops Minamida-cho or Jodoji, 5 to 10 min walk
Five performances of a staged Goethe Faust inside the Honen-in temple, about 75 minutes each. No show on 7 November.
Tetsuhiro Terada, CC BY 2.0 Honen-in Erhu Concert vol.7 by Kusuda Nahoko
楠田名保子 法然院・二胡コンサートvol.7『祈韻包心』
Time 18:00 (doors 17:30), ends about 19:30 Station Jodoji bus stop (City Bus 5), about 10 min walk, or Minamida-cho (City Bus 32), 5 min walk
Erhu concert in the main hall with a capacity of 80, first come first served.
Tetsuhiro Terada, CC BY 2.0 Honen-in Spring Opening
春季 伽藍内特別公開（法然院）
Time 9:30 to 16:00 Station Kinrin-shako-mae bus stop (City Bus 5)
The temple's buildings, normally closed, open for a week in spring (and again in autumn), when the three famous camellias in the inner garden are out.
Tetsuhiro Terada, CC BY 2.0 Pumpkin Memorial at Anraku-ji
鹿ケ谷カボチャ供養（安楽寺）
Time 9:00 to 15:00 Station Kinrinshako-mae bus stop (City Bus 5), 7 min walk
For about 230 years this small temple near the Philosopher's Path has served simmered Shishigatani pumpkin on 25 July, from a revelation that eating it in midsummer keeps strokes away. Entry is ¥1,000 that day with the pumpkin included, the temple's scrolls are on show, and Kyoto vegetables are sold at the gate.
Smaller local events nearby
Zenkizan Nenbutsu-e at Honen-in Performance
Mon 26 Oct, Thu 26 Nov · Honen-in, Ginkakuji
Monthly gathering at 15:00 on the 26th, except December.
Map · Source: Honen-in · 善気山念佛会
New Year's Eve Service (Joya-e) at Honen-in Festival
Thu 31 Dec · Honen-in, Ginkakuji
Year-end service on 31 December open to all worshippers.
Map · Source: Honen-in · 除夜会
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 Honen-in?
- 30 Shishigatani Goshonodan-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto (in Japanese: 京都市左京区鹿ヶ谷御所ノ段町30番地).
- What are the opening hours of Honen-in?
- Daily 6:00 to 16:00. The path to the main hall is open unless a service is on. The halls and garden open only 1 to 7 April and 18 to 24 November, 9:30 to 16:00.
- How do I get to Honen-in?
- The nearest station is Jodoji bus stop (City Bus 5). Honen-in is in Ginkakuji, Kyoto.
- How much does Honen-in cost?
- Nothing. Honen-in is free to visit.
- How long do you need at Honen-in?
- Plan for 20 min.
- When is the best time to visit Honen-in?
- Early morning.
Stay near Honen-in
Browse live availability and compare prices around Ginkakuji.
See hotels near Honen-in on Booking.comPrices are for the night of Saturday 24 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.