Temple · Gion

Kennin-ji 建仁寺

Kyoto's oldest Zen temple, hidden in plain sight behind Gion, with a twin-dragon ceiling painting, Sotatsu's Wind and Thunder Gods screen in replica and a beautiful square garden of circle, triangle and square.

About

Kennin-ji was founded in 1202 by the monk Eisai, who brought Rinzai Zen and the habit of drinking tea from China, which makes it a birthplace of Japanese tea culture. The buildings are spacious and relaxed, with tatami rooms opening onto gardens: the Daiouen karesansui in front of the Hojo, the Chouontei inner garden enclosed by corridors, and the Garden of Circle, Triangle and Square, a modern interpretation of a calligraphy of the universe. In the Hatto, the Sohryu-zu twin dragons by Koizumi Junsaku sprawl across the 108-mat ceiling, painted in 2002 for the temple's 800th anniversary. A high-definition replica of Tawaraya Sotatsu's National Treasure screen of the Wind and Thunder Gods is displayed, and replicas of Kaiho Yusho's ink paintings of dragons fill the fusuma. Unusually for Kyoto temples, photography is allowed almost everywhere, so it is popular with photographers and quiet in the morning.

Highlights

• Sohryu-zu twin dragons on the Hatto ceiling
• Replica of Sotatsu's Wind and Thunder Gods screen
• Chouontei garden viewed from the corridors
• Garden of Circle, Triangle and Square
• Photography permitted almost everywhere

Tips

• Open at 10:00; it is a 5-minute walk from Hanamikoji, so start here before Gion fills up.
• Sit on the veranda at Chouontei; it is one of the calmest spots in central Kyoto.
• The precinct is free to walk through as a shortcut between Gion and Yasaka-dori.
• Subtemples such as Ryosoku-in and Reigen-in open seasonally.

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

Nearby

• Leica Store KyotoCamera Store · 160 m away
• Capella KyotoStay · 180 m away
• Gion CornerShows & Entertainment · 200 m away
• Chidori-teiSushi & Seafood · 210 m away
• Hotel The Celestine Kyoto GionStay · 220 m away
• Yasui KonpiraguShrine · 230 m away
• Gion Sushi TadayasuSushi & Seafood · 330 m away
• Imperial Hotel, KyotoStay · 330 m away