japan-spots.com 47 prefectures · 470 spots
Kyoto 🛕 Temple 📷 10

Kiyomizu-dera

清水寺

A Buddhist temple built for quiet — halls, gardens and incense smoke.

See the photos How to get there Open in Maps
Best season April (blossom) and mid-November–early December (foliage)
Time needed 45–90 minutes
Admission Roughly ¥300–800 for halls and gardens (≈ $2–5)
Opening hours Typically 8:30–17:00 (shorter in winter)

What this place is

Kiyomizu-dera (Japanese: 清水寺; lit. 'Pure Water Monastery') is a Buddhist temple located in eastern Kyoto, Japan.It belongs to the Kita-Hosso sect of Japanese Buddhism and its honzon is a hibutsu statue of Jūichimen Kannon.The temple's full name is Otowa-san Kiyomizu-dera (音羽山 清水寺).The temple is the 16th stop on the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage route.Along with Kōryū-ji and Kurama-dera, it is one of the few temples in Kyoto that predates the foundation of the capital to Heian-kyō.It is also one of Japan's leading temples dedicated to the worship of Kannon, along with Ishiyama-dera (Ōtsu, Shiga) and Hase-dera (Sakurai, Nara).It is a famous tourist destination in Kyoto City, attracting many pilgrims throughout the year.Since 1995, it holds the Kanji of the Year ceremony on 12 December (Kanji Day) every year.

Kiyomizu-dera (清水寺) is one of the standout places to visit in Kyoto. Give yourself unhurried time for photos, seasonal views, and nearby food stops. IC cards such as Suica, Pasmo, or ICOCA cover most trains and city buses.

Background text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)

Why it is worth the trip

  • Main halls housing Buddhist statuary, some of it designated National Treasure or Important Cultural Property.
  • Gardens designed to be looked at rather than walked through — raked gravel, moss, borrowed mountain scenery.
  • Wooden architecture with deep eaves and joinery assembled without nails, often rebuilt over many centuries.

What you can do here

  • Light incense at the burner and waft the smoke over yourself before entering the main hall.
  • Sit on the veranda facing the garden — that is the intended way to see it, and it costs nothing extra.
  • Receive a goshuin seal, or try a short zazen / sutra-copying session where offered.
  • Walk the temple's pagoda, bell tower and sub-temples; many stay open later than the main hall.

Photos

Photos from Wikimedia Commons — click any image for the photographer and licence.

Getting there by public transport

  1. Kyoto City Bus 100/206 or Keihan to Gojo + walk uphill.
  2. Nearest station/stop: Kiyomizu-Gojo / bus.

Route on Google Maps

Good to know before you go

  • Remove your shoes where indicated and carry them in the plastic bag provided.
  • Keep voices low inside halls; photography of the principal image is often prohibited.
  • Autumn foliage and spring blossom seasons bring long queues — go right at opening.

Traveler reviews

No reviews yet — be the first to share how it went.

Write a review

Rating