Shogunzuka Seiryuden
Higashiyama, Kyoto
- Daily
- 9:00 to 17:00
Last entry 16:30. Open after dark for the spring and autumn light-ups. Ask the temple for the dates.
Source: shogunzuka.com, checked 11 Oct 2026.
Shogunzuka is the mound on the Higashiyama ridge where Emperor Kanmu is said to have buried a clay general in armour to guard his new capital in 794. Beside it, Shoren-in's Seiryuden has a wooden stage of 1,046 square metres, 4.6 times the size of Kiyomizu-dera's, looking over the whole city, and from the west viewpoint you can see as far as the towers of Osaka. The National Treasure Ao Fudo painting is kept in its inner hall, and you pray before a detailed copy.
Insider tip
Entry is ¥600. It's at the top of the Higashiyama Driveway, about 20 minutes by taxi from Kyoto Station or 5 from Keage Station, or a 30-minute walk up the Higashiyama Trail from Shoren-in. Spring and autumn bring evening light-ups. Work on the stage's floorboards ran past schedule in summer 2026, so call ahead (075-771-0390) to check the stage is open.
Tickets and tours
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What's on near Shogunzuka Seiryuden
Upcoming events within a ten-minute walk of Shogunzuka Seiryuden, from the weekly Kyoto events calendar.
Higashi Otani Mantoe Lanterns
東大谷万灯会
Time 18:00 to 21:00 Station Gion-Shijo (Keihan), 15 min walk
About 10,000 lanterns, large and small, light the Higashi Otani cemetery on the hill south of Maruyama Park so families can visit their graves in the cool of the evening, with an Obon service in the main hall from 19:00.
Gyoki Daie and Midnight Nembutsu at Chion-in
御忌大会・ミッドナイト念仏in御忌（知恩院）
Time Midnight Nembutsu 20:00 on 18 April to 7:00 on the 19th Station Chion-in-mae bus stop (City Bus 206), 5 min walk
A week of memorial services for Honen, the temple's most important. On the first night the upper floor of the Sanmon gate opens from 20:00 to 7:00 and anyone can join the all-night chanting, beating a wooden fish drum.
Christian Kadluba, CC BY-SA 2.0 Cultural property repair site open day at Chion-in
京都府文化財建造物修理現場公開 知恩院
Time 9:30, 11:00, 13:30 and 15:00 Station City bus stop Chion-in-mae, about 20 min walk
Guided look at a building under repair at Chion-in, with explanations by Kyoto Prefecture cultural property staff, in four sessions. Free, about one hour each.
Christian Kadluba, CC BY-SA 2.0 Manbu-e at Chion-in
萬部会（知恩院）
Time Reception 9:00 to 16:00, daytime service 10:30, evening service 13:30 Station Chion-in-mae bus stop (City Bus 206), 5 min walk
Chion-in holds memorial services in the Mieido hall over three days, with a daytime service at 10:30 and an evening service at 13:30.
Christian Kadluba, CC BY-SA 2.0 Chion-in Autumn Light-up
知恩院 秋のライトアップ2026
Station Chion-in-mae bus stop (City Bus 206), 5 min walk
Chion-in's autumn light-up runs from 17 Nov to 6 Dec. The temple's own page says the 2026 details are not yet published, so hours, admission and the lit areas are still to come.
Christian Kadluba, CC BY-SA 2.0 Nearby
Around Higashiyama
Kiyomizu-dera at opening, then the temples and pottery below it
Higashiyama is a whole ward, but this guide covers the slope from Kiyomizu-dera down to Shichijo-dori. Go early. The temple's gates open at 6:00, and if you're there then, you'll reach its wooden stage long before the day's crowds. Later, walk down past the pottery shops of Gojozaka to Sanjusangendo, where 1,001 statues of Kannon stand in a hall 120 metres long.
Higashiyama has 22 places on the Roam Kyoto map: 10 shrines and temples, 4 shops, 2 museums, 2 neighbourhoods, 1 cafe, 1 viewpoint, 1 restaurant and 1 landmark. Read the Higashiyama guide.
Good to know
- What is the address of Shogunzuka Seiryuden?
- 28 Zushioku Kacho-cho, Yamashina-ku, Kyoto (in Japanese: 京都府京都市山科区厨子奥花鳥町28).
- What are the opening hours of Shogunzuka Seiryuden?
- Daily 9:00 to 17:00. Last entry 16:30. Open after dark for the spring and autumn light-ups. Ask the temple for the dates.
- How do I get to Shogunzuka Seiryuden?
- The nearest station is Keage (Tozai Line), then 5 minutes by taxi. Shogunzuka Seiryuden is in Higashiyama, Kyoto.
- How much does Shogunzuka Seiryuden cost?
- Shogunzuka Seiryuden is cheap, marked ¥ on the site's price scale.
- How long do you need at Shogunzuka Seiryuden?
- Plan for 45 min.
- When is the best time to visit Shogunzuka Seiryuden?
- Clear days.
Stay near Shogunzuka Seiryuden
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