Shisen-do
Ginkakuji, Kyoto
- Daily
- 9:00 to 17:00
Last entry 16:45. Closed on 23 May.
Source: kyoto-shisendo.net, checked 11 Oct 2026.
The retreat where the poet Ishikawa Jozan (1583 to 1672) spent his last years, now a temple under Eihei-ji of the Soto Zen sect. At its heart are portraits of 36 Chinese poets by Kano Tanyu, each with a poem above it in Jozan's hand. Out in the garden you'll hear the knock of a bamboo shishi-odoshi, a device Jozan is credited with inventing.
Insider tip
Entry is ¥700 (high school ¥500, elementary and junior high ¥300). The garden has satsuki azaleas and fresh maple leaves in spring, and the whole garden turns in autumn. It's closed on 23 May.
Tickets and tours
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What's on near Shisen-do
Upcoming events within a ten-minute walk of Shisen-do, from the weekly Kyoto events calendar.
Enko-ji Autumn Leaves Opening
圓光寺 紅葉特別拝観
Time 9:00 to 17:00 Station Ichijoji (Eizan Railway), 15 min walk
Northern Kyoto's cold gives Enko-ji strong autumn colour, and from 10 Nov to 10 Dec you need a timed ticket, bookable from 20 Oct at 9:00. The temple asks for stays of about an hour, and the car park is closed.
Fire-walking Festival at Tanukidani-san Fudo-in
火渡り祭（狸谷山不動院）
Time From 19:00 Station Ichijoji-sagarimatsu-cho bus stop (City Bus 5)
The fire festival on the fourth Saturday of July starts with a goma fire rite in the main hall, then about 20 yamabushi mountain ascetics in their robes process down to the fire-walking ground to the sound of conch shells.
Hatsu-Fudo first Fudo day at Tanukidani Fudoin
狸谷山初不動（狸谷山不動院）
Hatsu-Fudo, the first Fudo Myoo festival day of the year, at the mountain temple Tanukidani Fudoin in Ichijoji, on 28 January.
Spring Daihannya Prayer Service at Tanukidani Fudoin
春の大般若祈願会
Time From 11:00 Station Ichijoji-sagarimatsu-cho bus stop, 10 min walk
A fire rite before the Fudo Myoo image with the Daihannya sutra read in turns, praying for health. Held at Tanukidani Fudoin.
Oh-Uryuyama Festival at Kyoto University of the Arts
大瓜生山祭2026
The university's annual festival runs over two days with food stalls, about 100 stalls of student-made goods, stage acts, a student exhibition across the campus and performances at Shunjuza.
Smaller local events nearby
Enko-ji Autumn Leaves Special Viewing Garden
10 Nov to 10 Dec · Enko-ji Temple, Ichijoji
A special autumn foliage viewing at Enko-ji Temple in Ichijoji, with timed entry booked in advance through the temple's reservation calendar.
Adults ¥1,500, school students ¥800 · 09:00 to 17:00 · Map · Source: Enko-ji · 二〇二六年 紅葉特別拝観
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 Shisen-do?
- 27 Ichijoji Monguchi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto (in Japanese: 京都市左京区一乗寺門口町27番地).
- What are the opening hours of Shisen-do?
- Daily 9:00 to 17:00. Last entry 16:45. Closed on 23 May.
- How do I get to Shisen-do?
- The nearest station is Ichijoji-sagarimatsu-cho bus stop (City Bus 5, Kita 8). Shisen-do is in Ginkakuji, Kyoto.
- How much does Shisen-do cost?
- Shisen-do is cheap, marked ¥ on the site's price scale.
- How long do you need at Shisen-do?
- Plan for 45 min.
- When is the best time to visit Shisen-do?
- Weekday mornings.
Stay near Shisen-do
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