Temple · Higashiyama

Chion-in 知恩院

Head temple of Jodo Buddhism with Japan's largest surviving wooden temple gate, a 70-ton bell rung by 17 monks on New Year's Eve, and a vast restored Mieido hall.

About

Chion-in stands on the site where Honen, founder of the Jodo (Pure Land) sect, preached and died in 1212, and was expanded hugely by the Tokugawa shoguns in the early 17th century. Its Sanmon of 1621 is the largest wooden temple gate in Japan, 24 m high and 50 m wide, and a National Treasure; the steep Otokozaka stairs behind it lead to the Mieido hall, reopened in 2020 after a nine-year restoration. Chion-in is full of oddities known as the "seven wonders", including the nightingale floors that chirp as you walk and an umbrella supposedly left in the rafters by a fox. Its 70-ton Ogane bell, cast in 1636, is struck 108 times on New Year's Eve by a team of 17 monks swinging on ropes, an event broadcast nationally. The Yuzen-en and Hojo gardens are small paid areas; the rest of the huge precinct is free.

Highlights

• Sanmon, Japan's largest wooden temple gate
• Mieido main hall, restored and reopened in 2020
• Ogane bell, one of Japan's three great bells
• Yuzen-en garden, named after the dyeing master Miyazaki Yuzen
• Nightingale corridors and the "seven wonders"

Tips

• The precinct opens at 5:00 and is free: early morning is magical and empty.
• The Sanmon interior opens only on special occasions; check the calendar.
• New Year's Eve bell ringing requires a free numbered ticket and long queues in the cold.
• Combine with Shoren-in next door and Maruyama Park behind.

Open in Google Maps · Info checked 2026-10-09

Nearby

• Sakamoto Ryoma and Nakaoka Shintaro StatueStatue & Monument · 180 m away
• Maruyama ParkPark · 220 m away
• Shoren-inTemple · 330 m away
• Yasaka ShrineShrine · 450 m away
• Gyoja-bashi BridgeBridge · 470 m away
• Kodai-jiTemple · 490 m away
• Shogunzuka SeiryudenVista & View · 500 m away
• Hisago (Gion)Restaurant · 540 m away