Temple
Myoshin-ji
妙心寺
A large Rinzai Zen complex with about 50 subtemples. The Hatto Hall has a dragon painted on its ceiling, and the Taizo-in subtemple has a rock garden from the 1400s and a 1960s pond garden.
Key facts
- Station
- Hanazono (JR Sagano Line)5 min walk
- Admission
- Paid entry
- Typical visit
- 1 h
- Hours
- Hatto Hall 9:00 to 16:00 (entry until 15:30); open subtemples 9:00 to 17:00
- Website
- www.myoshinji.or.jp/english
Tip
Walking the paths between subtemples is free; the Hatto Hall and the open subtemples charge separately. Ryoan-ji is a 10 to 15-minute walk north.
01Where to stay
Stay nearby
This place is near Kinkaku-ji and Kitano. Median hotel rate in the latest sample: US$431 per night. Where to stay near Kinkaku-ji and Kitano
Prices and availability come from the booking sites and can change.
02Map
Nearby places
- Temple Ninna-ji 仁和寺 Founded in 888 by the reigning emperor and long headed by members of the imperial family, Ninna-ji is part of the UNESCO Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto. Paid entry 1 h 3 min walk
- Temple Ryoan-ji 龍安寺 A Zen temple converted from an aristocrat's villa in 1450, known for its rock garden of 15 rocks set in raked pebbles, viewed from the Hojo. Paid entry 45 min 10 min walk
- Shrine Hirano Shrine 平野神社 A shrine a few minutes north of Kitano Tenmangu with around 60 varieties of cherry trees that flower in succession over about six weeks. Free entry 20 min 7 min walk
- Shrine Kitano Tenmangu 北野天満宮 A shrine to Sugawara no Michizane, revered as the deity of learning, with a grove of nearly 2000 plum trees that bloom from February to March. Free entry 40 min 7 min walk
Sources · Verified 24 September 2026