Tenryu-ji Temple
By Andrew Liyan · Last updated: September 28, 2026
Tenryu-ji is the Zen temple at the heart of Arashiyama, known for the Sogenchi pond garden laid out by its founding abbot about 700 years ago. It is open 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. every day, and the garden costs ¥500; its north gate opens onto the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove. The ceiling dragon in the Dharma Hall is a separate ¥500 ticket, shown mainly on weekends and holidays.
- Area
- Arashiyama
- Best For
- Zen Gardens, UNESCO Heritage, History, Shojin Ryori
Visiting Tenryu-ji Temple
Tenryu-ji was founded in 1339 by the shogun Ashikaga Takauji in memory of Emperor Go-Daigo, with the Zen master Muso Soseki as its first abbot. Eight major fires have destroyed its buildings over the centuries; most of what stands today dates from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The garden is the exception. Muso Soseki laid out the Sogenchi pond garden nearly seven hundred years ago, and the temple says it keeps its original appearance; it was the first garden in Japan designated a Site of Special Historic and Scenic Importance. It is a strolling garden around a pond, best seen from the veranda of the Hojo, facing a group of standing rocks that represent the Dragon Gate Falls.
The temple's north gate, beyond the Hyakka-en flower garden, opens onto the path through the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove. The route below uses it.
The route through Tenryu-ji
Short answer
Enter from the main street, see the Cloud Dragon in the Dharma Hall if it is open, go through the Kuri to the Hojo veranda over the Sogenchi pond, walk around the pond garden, then climb through the Hyakka-en to the north gate and the bamboo grove.
Start
The approach and the Dharma Hall
The Dharma Hall holds the Cloud Dragon ceiling (separate ¥500, mainly weekends, holidays and special periods).
Next
The Kuri
The kitchen and office building with the tall white gable, the temple's most photographed building, connected to the Hojo.
The center of the visit
Hojo and the Sogenchi Garden
Sit on the Hojo veranda facing the pond and the Dragon Gate Falls stones, then follow the level path around the pond.
Exit
Hyakka-en and the north gate
A flower garden climbs gently to the north gate, which opens onto the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove.
When to go
Short answer
Arrive at the 8:30 a.m. opening. To see the Cloud Dragon, come on a weekend or holiday, or during the spring and autumn special periods.
- Garden and buildings
- 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily, last admission 4:50 p.m.
- Cloud Dragon, spring and autumn
- Daily in the special periods; in 2026, March 1 to May 31 and September 19 to December 6, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Cloud Dragon, rest of the year
- Saturdays, Sundays and holidays; 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in high summer, when the hall gets very hot.
Fitting Tenryu-ji into a Kyoto day
Short answer
Tenryu-ji and the bamboo grove are one walk. From Arashiyama, the JR Sagano Line runs back through Nijo, and northwest Kyoto's temples fill an afternoon.
Better on another day
Higashiyama
Kiyomizu-dera and Gion are on the opposite side of the city; keep them for another day.
Things to look for at Tenryu-ji
The Cloud Dragon
Kayama Matazo painted the dragon on the Dharma Hall ceiling in 1997, on 159 cypress planks; it is drawn so that it appears to look at you from anywhere in the hall. It is shown on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays and daily in the spring and autumn special periods (in 2026, March 1 to May 31 and September 19 to December 6, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), for a separate ¥500.
The dragon in the Hojo
A different dragon, painted in 1957 by Wakasa Butsugai, fills the sliding doors of the Daihojo facing the pond, and is included in the buildings ticket. The Hojo's Shakyamuni image, from the late Heian period, has survived all eight of the temple's major fires.
Shigetsu
The temple's own shojin ryori restaurant, south of the pond, serves Zen vegetarian lunches and holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand in the 2025 Kyoto Osaka guide. Book ahead through the temple, and pay the ¥500 garden fee as well.
How to Get to Tenryu-ji Temple
Tenryu-ji is in the middle of Arashiyama, on the main street near the river. Trains are the reliable choice; the temple warns that the road in front is closed to traffic on some peak autumn afternoons.
From Kyoto Station
Take the JR Sagano Line to Saga-Arashiyama, about 15 minutes, then walk about 13 minutes. The line is covered by the JR Pass.
From central Kyoto
The Randen (Keifuku) Arashiyama Line from Shijo-Omiya ends at Arashiyama Station, 5 minutes' walk from the temple. The Hankyu Arashiyama Line ends across the river, 15 minutes away.
By bus
City Bus 11, 28 and 93 and Kyoto Bus 61, 72 and 83 stop at Arashiyama Tenryuji-mae.
By car
The temple lot holds 100 cars at ¥1,000, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., without reservations.
- •Randen Arashiyama Station is 5 minutes' walk; JR Saga-Arashiyama 13 minutes.
- •The JR Sagano Line from Kyoto Station is covered by the JR Pass.
- •Leave by the north gate to continue into the bamboo grove.
Best Time to Visit Tenryu-ji Temple
At 8:30 AM opening; weekends and holidays if you want to see the Cloud Dragon.
- •At the 8:30 a.m. opening, before Arashiyama fills up.
- •On a weekend or holiday, or in the spring and autumn special periods, to see the Cloud Dragon.
- •The buildings close for some ceremonies; in 2026, on the afternoon of April 1 and on October 29 and 30.
Entry Fee & Hours
| Category | Price (JPY) | Approx. (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| High school student and older | ¥500 | ~$3.3 |
| Elementary and junior high student | ¥300 | ~$2 |
| Category | Price (JPY) | Approx. (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Add to the garden fee | +¥300 | ~$2 |
| Category | Price (JPY) | Approx. (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Per person | ¥500 | ~$3.3 |
- •Preschool children are free. Tickets are sold at the garden entrance, the main building entrance and the north gate.
- •The Dharma Hall fee is separate from the garden and buildings. The buildings close occasionally for ceremonies; in 2026, on the afternoon of April 1 and on October 29 and 30.
Nearby Attractions
Places that pair with Tenryu-ji
Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
Nijo Castle
Ryoan-ji Temple
Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion)
Two ways to build a day around Tenryu-ji
Both start at the 8:30 a.m. opening and leave by the north gate.
Arashiyama morning
Temple, grove and a temple lunch.
8:30 a.m.
Tenryu-ji's garden and the Hojo veranda.
Mid-morning
North gate to the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove.
Lunch
Shigetsu, booked ahead.
West Kyoto
Arashiyama, then back through the center.
8:30 a.m.
Tenryu-ji and the bamboo grove.
Midday
JR Sagano Line to Nijo.
Afternoon
Nijo Castle, entry until 4:00 p.m.
Frequently Asked Questions
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