Nishi Hongan-ji
Kyoto Station, Kyoto
- Daily
- 5:30 to 17:00
Source: hongwanji.kyoto, checked 11 Oct 2026.
The head temple of the Hongwanji branch of Jodo Shinshu, and part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto World Heritage listing since 1994. The Goei-do, rebuilt in 1636, measures 62 m by 48 m, and you can walk in and sit on its tatami. Out front, a ginkgo of about 400 years spreads its branches like roots, which is why it's called the upside-down ginkgo.
More photos of Nishi Hongan-ji
Insider tip
Monks lead free 30-minute tours of the grounds at 10:00, 11:30, 13:45 and 15:30, with no booking, rain or shine. The morning service starts at 6:00 in the Amida-do. The weekend English guides from Ryukoku University are suspended for now.
What's on at Nishi Hongan-ji
Upcoming events at Nishi Hongan-ji and within a ten-minute walk, from the weekly Kyoto events calendar.
Sunday Lecture at Nishi Hongan-ji: Shinran's nembutsu and his seven years in Echigo
日曜講演「親鸞聖人の「信心と報謝」の念仏 ─越後生活７年間の意義─」
Time 10:30 to 11:45
A free Sunday talk by a historian on Shinran's years in Echigo, 10:30 to 11:45 on this day, no booking needed, in the assembly hall at Nishi Hongan-ji.
xiquinhosilva, CC BY 4.0 Year-end Dust Cleaning at Nishi Honganji
御煤払い（西本願寺）
Time From about 7:00 Station Nishi Hongwanji-mae bus stop (City Bus 9), 1 min walk
Monks and followers beat the tatami of the Goeido hall with bamboo poles and fan a year's dust out with big paper fans, a cleaning held here for over 500 years, since the time of Rennyo. It starts at about 7:00 and anyone can watch.
xiquinhosilva, CC BY 4.0 Everyone Come! Fumon-ji of Higashi-Mikawa
秋季企画展「みんなおいでん！東三河の普門寺さん」
Time 10:00 to 17:00 (last entry 16:30). Closed Mondays except Sep 21, Oct 12 and Nov 23, and closed Sep 24 and Oct 13
Autumn exhibition of Buddhist statues and historical documents kept at Fumon-ji in Toyohashi, Aichi, which marks 1,300 years since its founding in 2027. The display changes partway through the run.
663highland, CC BY-SA 4.0 Buddha Portrait Caricatures at Ryukoku Museum
仏像似顔絵屋さん 龍谷ミュージアム
Time 11:00 to 17:00 in 30-minute slots, no slot 12:30 to 13:30 Station Kyoto Station about 12 min walk; Nishi-Hongwanji-mae bus stop about 2 min
An artist draws postcard-size caricatures that turn visitors' faces into Buddha images, in 30-minute slots in the museum's entrance hall. Advance booking required, one person per slot, no museum ticket needed.
663highland, CC BY-SA 4.0 Talk Session on Fumonji Buddhas at Ryukoku Museum
トークセッション「普門寺のキセキ－三遠仏を語る－」 龍谷ミュージアム
Time 13:30 to 15:00 Station Kyoto Station about 12 min walk; Nishi-Hongwanji-mae bus stop about 2 min
A talk by a Hamamatsu museum curator and a Ryukoku Museum curator on the Buddhist images of Fumonji temple, tied to the autumn exhibition. Free to hear but advance booking and a museum ticket are needed, 60 seats.
663highland, CC BY-SA 4.0 Smaller local events nearby
Gallery talk by the Fumonji priest at Ryukoku Museum Exhibition
11 and 17 November, 16:00 to 16:45. Next: Wed 11 Nov · Ryukoku Museum (3F exhibition room), Kyoto Station
The priest of Fumonji explains the highlights of the autumn show in the exhibition room. No booking, free to listen, a museum ticket is needed on the day.
Free to listen, museum ticket needed · 16:00 to 16:45 · Map · Source: Ryukoku Museum · 普門寺御住職によるギャラリートーク（龍谷ミュージアム）
Shinran's Day at Nishi Hongan-ji Festival
16th of every month except January. Next: Mon 16 Nov · Nishi Hongan-ji, Kyoto Station
On the 16th, except in January, free events include a Goeido service at 10:00, a talk at 10:40 and a Shoin guided tour at 11:00 for 40 people. Tickets go out from 9:00 at Ryukoden.
Free · 10:00 · Map · Source: Nishi Hongan-ji · 親鸞聖人の日（西本願寺）
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 Nishi Hongan-ji?
- Honganji Monzen-machi, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto (in Japanese: 京都市下京区堀川通花屋町下る本願寺門前町).
- What are the opening hours of Nishi Hongan-ji?
- Daily 5:30 to 17:00.
- How do I get to Nishi Hongan-ji?
- The nearest station is Nishi Hongwanji-mae bus stop (City Bus 9, 28, 75). Nishi Hongan-ji is in Kyoto Station, Kyoto.
- How much does Nishi Hongan-ji cost?
- Nothing. Nishi Hongan-ji is free to visit.
- How long do you need at Nishi Hongan-ji?
- Plan for 1 hour.
- When is the best time to visit Nishi Hongan-ji?
- Early morning.
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