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Kōdaiji Temple

Location & practical

Nene took the garden

  • A pavilion was built for watching the moon.
  • Gold grasses curve across dark lacquer.
  • Nene’s garden came from Fushimi Castle, stone by stone.
  • €5–7 / person
  • Shimogawara, Higashiyama Ward
  • Temple
  • 45–90 minutes

When Nene left Fushimi Castle, she took the garden. The boulders were hauled across Kyoto and set down again in Higashiyama. Four centuries later, at Entoku-in, they still look too large to have come from anywhere else.

In 1606, Nene founded Kōdai-ji across the lane in memory of her husband, Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Tokugawa Ieyasu, who had since taken power, helped pay for it. Nene, by then a Buddhist nun, spent her last years beside the temple.

At Kōdai-ji the ground rises from raked gravel to ponds and roofed bridges. There is a pavilion for looking at the moon. Farther uphill, two thatched tea houses sit beside a covered passage. The rafters of one spread like the ribs of an open umbrella.

In the memorial hall where Nene is buried, autumn grasses are picked out in gold on dark lacquer. Among them is the paulownia crest of the Toyotomi family. The decoration gave its name to a style of lacquerware, Kōdaiji-maki-e. Even here, amid the emblems of a ruling house, someone took the trouble to draw the curve of a blade of grass.

Across the lane at Entoku-in, matcha is served in a hand-shaped raku bowl overlooking the garden. The stones still sit where Nene had them set down.

  • Urban setting Shimogawara, Higashiyama Ward
  • Historic setting Former religious building
  • Garden

Good to know.

Location
Japan, 〒605-0825 Kyoto, Higashiyama Ward, Shimokawarachō, 高台寺下河原町５２６
Open map & directions
Opening hours
  • Monday 09:00–17:30
  • Tuesday 09:00–17:30
  • Wednesday 09:00–17:30
  • Thursday 09:00–17:30
  • Friday 09:00–17:30
  • Saturday 09:00–17:30
  • Sunday 09:00–17:30
Parking

Paid car parking is open 24 hours, with a 2.3 m height limit. The first hour costs ¥600 (about €3.39), then ¥300 (about €1.70) per half-hour. From 23:00 to 07:00, the rate is ¥100 (about €0.57) per hour except over New Year. Eligible temple visitors can receive a voucher for one free hour.

Getting around

Take Kyoto City Bus 206 from Kyoto Station or 207 from Gion-Shijō to Higashiyama Yasui. The temple is about 5–7 minutes uphill on foot from the stop.

Arriving

The stone steps of Daidokoro-zaka lead up from Nene-no-Michi. The south car park provides an alternate approach to reception.

Accessibility

The main approach has stairs. Use the south car park approach to reach reception. A wheelchair-accessible toilet is next to reception. Parts of the garden are accessible with assistance, but the ground is uneven and the raised hall interiors are inaccessible by wheelchair. Assistance dogs are welcome.

Travelling with children

Elementary-school children and younger enter free with an adult. The temple requires at least one adult for every five children. Junior-high and high-school students pay ¥400 (about €2.26). In November, school groups of elementary pupils are excluded from visits from 17:00 onward.

Worth knowing

  • Regular last admission is 17:00. For the 2026 autumn illumination, from 23 October through 13 December, the lights come on at 17:00, last admission is 21:30 and the gates close at 22:00. The day ticket covers a continuous visit through the lighting change. Re-entry after leaving requires a new ticket.

  • Temple services can temporarily close individual halls. Check the temple’s notices if you are going for a particular building.

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