Ishibe-koji
Gion, Kyoto
Ishibe-koji is a stone-paved lane south of Yasaka Shrine that winds between stone walls from Kodaiji Kitamon-dori to Shimogawara-dori. It was built as rental housing in the late Meiji and early Taisho years, and it's now part of a protected district of traditional buildings.
Insider tip
People live in the houses along it, so keep your voice down and don't block the lane for photos.
What's on near Ishibe-koji
Upcoming events within a ten-minute walk of Ishibe-koji, from the weekly Kyoto events calendar.
Entoku-in Autumn Exhibition and Night Viewing
圓徳院特別展と夜間特別拝観
Time Night viewing 17:00 to 22:00 (last entry 21:30), screens on show from 10:00 Station Higashiyama Yasui bus stop (City Bus 206)
Nene spent her last 19 years at this Kodai-ji sub-temple, and its north garden, a dry landscape later reworked by Kobori Enshu, is lit at night while the Toyotomi family's Teikan-zu screens are on show. A ¥1,200 ticket covers both Entoku-in and Kodai-ji, and it's closed on 11 and 12 Dec.
Kobori Enshu School Autumn Tea Gathering at Entoku-in
茶道小堀遠州流 秋の特別茶席
Time 10:30, 11:30, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00 and 16:00 Station City bus stop Higashiyama-Yasui, 7 min walk
Samurai-style tea of the Kobori Enshu school in a small tea room beside the north garden, in 45-minute sessions. Temple admission is separate and the gathering needs a booking.
Tetsuhiro Terada, CC BY 2.0 New Year's Eve Bell at Kodai-ji
高台寺 除夜の鐘
Time 22:00 to 02:00 Station Higashiyama-Yasui bus stop, 7 min walk
Kodai-ji hands out 108 numbered tickets, one per group, from about 22:00 for the New Year's Eve bell. The grounds are lit and open for a first visit from 22:00 to 02:00.
Tetsuhiro Terada, CC BY 2.0 Yobanashi evening tea gathering at Kodai-ji
夜咄（よばなし）の茶会（高台寺）
Winter evening tea gathering on Friday to Sunday evenings with tea ceremony, guided visit and a meal included. Not held on 6 and 7 February.
Tetsuhiro Terada, CC BY 2.0 Kodai-ji Museum: Hideyoshi's Daizuigu Bosatsu on Show
高台寺掌美術館 秀吉天下一統の念持仏 大随求菩薩公開
Time 9:00 to 17:10 (reception to 17:00), to 21:10 during the 23 Oct to 13 Dec night viewing Station Higashiyama Yasui bus stop (City Bus), 7 min walk
The museum shows the Daizuigu Bosatsu, the personal Buddhist image of Hideyoshi, together with Nene's thousand-Jizo and other treasures from Kodai-ji and related temples.
Tetsuhiro Terada, CC BY 2.0 Live music nearby
Nearby
Around Gion
The teahouse streets below Yasaka Shrine, best early or at dusk
Gion grew up as the town at the gate of Yasaka Shrine, and it's still where Kyoto's geiko and maiko live and work. Gion Kobu, the largest of the city's five geiko districts, keeps its teahouses along Hanamikoji-dori, and the Shirakawa canal runs through Gion Shinbashi to the north. Go early for the shrine and the temples behind it. Come back at dusk for the streets.
Gion has 25 places on the Roam Kyoto map: 6 shrines and temples, 4 shops, 4 neighbourhoods, 3 cafes, 2 landmarks, 2 restaurants, 1 bar, 1 museum, 1 park or garden and 1 bathhouse. Read the Gion guide.
Good to know
- How do I get to Ishibe-koji?
- The nearest station is Higashiyama Yasui bus stop (City Bus 206, 207). Ishibe-koji is in Gion, Kyoto.
- How much does Ishibe-koji cost?
- Nothing. Ishibe-koji is free to visit.
- How long do you need at Ishibe-koji?
- Plan for 15 min.
- When is the best time to visit Ishibe-koji?
- Weekday mornings.
Stay near Ishibe-koji
Browse live availability and compare prices around Gion.
See hotels near Ishibe-koji 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.