Kodai-ji Temple
By Andrew Liyan · Last updated: September 28, 2026
Kodai-ji is the Zen temple in Higashiyama founded in 1606 by Nene, the widow of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, to pray for him. It is known for its pond garden, the gold-lacquered shrine where the couple are enshrined, a short bamboo grove and its evening openings. Entry is ¥800 and the temple is open 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (last entry 5:00); in spring and autumn it stays open until 10:00 p.m. at no extra charge.
- Area
- Higashiyama
- Best For
- Gardens, Night Viewings, History, Higashiyama Walk
Visiting Kodai-ji Temple
Kodai-ji stands on the lower slopes of the Higashiyama hills, above the lane called Nene-no-michi between Yasaka Shrine and Sannenzaka. Hideyoshi's widow, known as Kita-no-Mandokoro or Nene, founded it in 1606 to pray for her husband, and it took the name Kodai-ji in 1624. Tokugawa Ieyasu helped pay for the building, and the temple belongs to the Kennin-ji school of Rinzai Zen.
The visit follows one circuit through the garden. The ponds spreading east and west of the Founder's Hall (Kaisando) are traditionally attributed to the garden designer Kobori Enshu. Above them is the Otamaya, where Hideyoshi and Nene are enshrined and Nene is buried beneath her statue; its altar and shrine are decorated in the gold lacquer known as Kodai-ji maki-e. Higher up are two tea houses, Kasa-tei and Shigure-tei, and the path then drops through a bamboo grove to the exit. The Founder's Hall, the Otamaya, both tea houses, the front gate and the moon-viewing platform are Important Cultural Properties.
The temple also runs a small museum of Nene's belongings, the Sho Museum, nearby on the second floor of the Kyo-Rakuichi Nene building, and has a hall where an android Kannon, Mindar, delivers the Heart Sutra. Entoku-in, a sub-temple on the lane below, shares a combined ticket.
The garden circuit, in order
Short answer
One path leads past the Founder's Hall and its ponds, up to the Otamaya, past the two tea houses and down through the bamboo grove to the exit.
Start
Founder's Hall and the ponds
The pond garden attributed to Kobori Enshu spreads either side of the Kaisando.
Up the hill
The Otamaya
Hideyoshi and Nene are enshrined here, among gold Kodai-ji maki-e lacquer.
Higher on the hill
Kasa-tei and Shigure-tei
Two tea houses, both Important Cultural Properties.
On the way down
The bamboo grove
A short walk between tall bamboo to the exit.
Day and night openings
Short answer
The temple is open 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. every day; in spring and autumn it reopens as a night viewing at the same price.
- Every day
- 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; last entry 5:00 p.m.
- Spring night viewing
- 2026: March 13 to May 6, until 10:00 p.m., same ticket.
- Summer evenings
- 2026: July 11 to August 23, 6:00 to 10:00 p.m., separate ¥1,500 ticket.
- Autumn night viewing
- 2026: October 23 to December 13, until 10:00 p.m., same ticket.
Fitting Kodai-ji into a Higashiyama day
Short answer
Kodai-ji sits in the middle of the walk from Kiyomizu-dera to Gion, so it rarely needs a trip of its own.
South on foot
Sannenzaka and Kiyomizu-dera
Walk up to Kiyomizu-dera first, then come down Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka to Kodai-ji.
On the lane below
Entoku-in
A Kodai-ji sub-temple; the combined ticket for both is ¥1,200.
Better on another day
Arashiyama
On the far side of the city; give it its own day.
Things to do at Kodai-ji
The Otamaya and its lacquer
The Otamaya is the memorial shrine where Hideyoshi and Nene are enshrined; Nene's grave is beneath her statue. The altar platform and the shrine cabinets are covered in gold lacquer on black, the style that took the temple's name as Kodai-ji maki-e and is counted among the finest work of the Momoyama period.
The garden and the bamboo grove
The ponds spread east and west of the Founder's Hall, and the path climbs past the Otamaya to two tea houses before descending through bamboo. The bamboo grove is inside the paid garden, not a free public path, so it needs the Kodai-ji ticket.
Night viewings
In spring and autumn the temple lights the garden and stays open until 10:00 p.m. (last entry 9:30), with lights on from 5:00 p.m. The ticket costs the same as by day and you can stay from afternoon into evening, but once you leave by the exit you cannot re-enter on the same ticket. The 2026 autumn viewing runs from October 23 to December 13.
How to Get to Kodai-ji Temple
Kodai-ji is on the hillside east of Higashiyama-dori, reached from the lane Nene-no-michi. Most people walk in as part of the Higashiyama route; there is no station beside it.
From Kyoto Station
Kyoto City Bus 206 runs to the Higashiyama Yasui stop in about 15 minutes, then it is a 7-minute walk east. A taxi takes about 15 minutes.
By train
From Keihan Gion-Shijo Station, walk east past Yasaka Shrine, about 10 minutes. From Hankyu Kyoto-Kawaramachi it is about 15 minutes, or take bus 207 to Higashiyama Yasui.
On foot from nearby sights
Kodai-ji sits between Yasaka Shrine to the north and Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka to the south, so it fits the downhill walk from Kiyomizu-dera to Gion.
By car
The temple car park charges ¥600 for the first hour, with a discount for visitors; coaches must book. The Higashiyama streets are congested in spring and autumn, so public transport is easier.
- •Higashiyama Yasui bus stop is on routes 206 (from Kyoto Station) and 207 (from Gion-Shijo and Kawaramachi).
- •The garden path climbs the hillside, with slopes and steps.
Best Time to Visit Kodai-ji Temple
A weekday morning, or an evening during the spring or autumn night viewing.
- •The temple opens at 9:00 a.m. and takes its last visitors at 5:00 p.m. Weekday mornings are the quietest.
- •Spring and autumn night viewings keep it open until 10:00 p.m. at the day price; autumn is the busiest.
- •In summer the Higashiyama Kangetsu-ji evenings use a separate entrance and a ¥1,500 ticket (2026: July 11 to August 23).
Night viewing until 10:00 p.m. at the day price (2026: March 13 to May 6).
Evening event with its own entrance and a ¥1,500 ticket (2026: July 11 to August 23).
Night viewing until 10:00 p.m. at the day price (2026: October 23 to December 13).
Entry Fee & Hours
| Category | Price (JPY) | Approx. (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | ¥800 | ~$5.3 |
| Junior and senior high school student | ¥400 | ~$2.7 |
| Elementary school age and under, with an adult | Free | Free |
| Category | Price (JPY) | Approx. (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Kodai-ji and Entoku-in | ¥1,200 | ~$8 |
- •The same ticket covers the spring and autumn night viewings; it is not re-admission, so once you leave you cannot come back in. The summer evening event is separately ticketed (¥1,500 in 2026, free for 12 and under) through the Daidokoro-zaka entrance.
- •Visitors with a disability certificate and one companion enter free. The garden path has steps and slopes.
Nearby Attractions
Places on the same Higashiyama walk
Yasaka Shrine
Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka
Gion District
Kiyomizu-dera Temple
Two ways to fit Kodai-ji in
Both start from the Higashiyama Yasui bus stop or Gion-Shijo.
Higashiyama morning
Kodai-ji in the middle of the downhill walk.
Morning
Kiyomizu-dera, then down Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka.
Late morning
Kodai-ji's garden circuit, about an hour.
Lunch
Yasaka Shrine and Gion.
Autumn evening
During the night viewing (2026: October 23 to December 13).
Late afternoon
Enter before 5:00 p.m. and see the garden in daylight.
From 5:00 p.m.
Stay as the lights come on; the same ticket covers the evening.
Dinner
Walk down to Gion.
Frequently Asked Questions
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