Kyoto Summer Special Openings 2024

The Kyoto Summer Special Openings is a program allowing visits to temples, shrines and other historical buildings of cultural importance in Kyoto City for a limited period during the summer.
The program is carried out according to different themes each year.
For 2024, there are two themes: "Architectural masterpieces and gardens of Kyoto" and "World Heritage temples and shrines."

The World Heritage Sites of Kyoto

2024 marks the 30th year since the registration of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto.

Of the approximately 1200 World Heritage Sites across the globe, twenty-five are in Japan, one of which is in Kyoto.

This may seem like a small number, but the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto actually encompasses seventeen historic sites, mainly shrines and temples, in Kyoto City, Uji City, and Otsu City.

Kyoto has been the center of Japanese culture for over a millennium and is full of important cultural monuments such as wooden architecture as seen in shrines and temples and beautiful Japanese gardens.

In order to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the World Heritage Site registration, this year's Kyoto Summer Special Openings will include special openings of three of the seventeen sites constituting Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto and some of the most exquisite historic architectural structures and gardens normally closed to the public.

Dates

July 12th (Fri) to September 30th (Mon), 2024
*Some of the locations have different opening periods. Please check the sections of each place for details.

There may also be dates or times of day where public viewing is not possible, due to ceremonial events or weather conditions (typhoon, etc.).
Up-to-date information will be shown on this website, so please check prior to your visit.

Special opening hours

10:00 to 16:30 (last admission 16:00)　

*The hours are different for some locations.

Please check the sections of each place for details.

Entrance Fee (per place):

•Adults ￥800

•Age 6-12 ￥400

*Free for children age 5 and below

The following two places have different fees:

•Ninnaji Goten and garden (fee includes general admission)

Adults ¥ 1,000
Free for persons age 18 and below

•Old Mitsui Family Shimogamo Villa (fee includes general admission)

Adults ¥ 800

Persons of ages 13 to 18: ¥ 500

Persons of ages 6 to 12: ¥ 400

NOTE

During your visit to temples, shrines, etc.; we ask you to please observe the following:

No smoking
No drinking or eating
No photography in some areas. Please follow the instructions of staff at each place when you wish to take photos. Some locations may not allow photography of areas or objects related to religious worship. We ask for your understanding.
Please unshoulder your backpack/shoulder bag or carry it in front of you in order to protect cultural property. If possible, please check in large pieces of baggage.Please refrain from visiting barefoot.
Please do not touch any cultural properties (pictures on partitions, Buddhist statues, etc.).

*Some temples may be closed for Buddhist services without notice.

*On-site guidance is available in Japanese only. English information will be provided in print or digital text.

Details

1. Yasaka-jinja Shrine Honden (Main Sanctuary)

2. Chourakukan "Onari no ma"

3. Daiun-in Temple "Gion-kaku"

4. Chishaku-in Temple

5. Ninna-ji Temple Goten (Palace & Gardens)

6. Kamigamo-jinja Shrine Honden (Main Sanctuary) and Gonden (Temporary Sanctuary)

7. Shimogamo-jinja Shrine Honden (Main Sanctuary) and Oidono (Old Sanctuary Kitchen)

8. Old Mitsui Family Shimogamo Villa

Yasaka-jinja Shrine is believed to have been founded in 656 and has a long tradition of being a place to pray for protection from plagues. Yasaka-jinja Shrine's famous Gion Matsuri Festival, held every July, has continued since the ninth century. The Honden (Main Sanctuary) dedicated to the deities Susano'o no mikoto and Kushiinadahime no mikoto has been designated as a National Treasure. The interior of the sanctuary, particularly the part that is farthest inside, will be made open to the public for a limited period during the Kyoto Summer Special Openings. The sanctuary's architectural style, referred to as "Gion-zukuri," is unique in that the main hall and the prayer hall, which are separate structures, are conjoined by a single roof. According to legend, beneath the main sanctuary is a dragon's cave where the energy of the earth concentrates. It has been believed that an Azure Dragon residing in this cave has protected the town of Kyoto through the ages. Although the shrine belongs to Shintoism (one of Japan's oldest religions), inside the main sanctuary you can see features characteristic of Buddhist temples. These are remnants of shinbutsu shūgō (syncretism between Shintoism and Buddhism), which was once widespread in Japan. There is also a painting of Gion Matsuri by a famous Japanese painter.
Dates			August 3rd (Sat) to September 30th (Mon) 2024 *Opens 12 PM on August 7th (Wed), 15th (Thu), September 1st (Sun), 15th (Thu), 22nd (Sun).
Hours			10:00 - 16:00 (Admission until 15:30)
Admission Fee			Adults ￥800 ・Age 6-12 ￥400
Access			● 1 minute walk from Kyoto City Bus's Gion bus stop (bus #206 if coming from Kyoto Sta.) ● 8 minutes walk from Keihan Railway's Gion Shijo Sta. (From Kyoto Station, take JR Nara Line to Tofukuji Station to ride the Keihan train.)
Note			Please make sure to wear socks when entering the Shrine Honden (Main Sanctuary).
Official Website			https://www.yasaka-jinja.or.jp/en/

This villa was built in 1909 for Kichibē Murai, a businessman known as the tobacco tycoon of the Meiji period, to recieve his special guests visiting from inside and outside of the country. Designed by American architect James McDonald Gardiner, the building has a Renaissance-style exterior and an interior combining various styles such as Rococo, Neoclassicism, and Art Nouveau. This structure, with much of its furnishing pieces inside, has been designated as a tangible cultural property of Kyoto City and is now used as a hotel and a restaurant. The normally closed Onari no ma, the room for "honorable guests," on the third floor will be made open to public for a limited time during the Kyoto Summer Special Openings. This shoin-zukuri (a Japanese architectural style) room has a beautiful atmosphere combining Eastern and Western aesthetics. It features an elegant oriage-gō-tenjō ceiling (1) and a tokonoma* alcove and is decorated by a Baccarat chandelier and gold-leafed fusuma-e sliding door paintings depicting waves and plovers. You can also visit other rooms with different atmospheres, such as the Chōraku-an tea room that is said to have been designed after Zangetsu-tei, which is a shoin-style tea room of the Omotesenke school of tea ceremony. *1: A coffered wooden ceiling in the elegant style of temples and shoin-style rooms but with the ceilings made higher than a standard ceiling structure.
Dates			July 12th (Fri) to September 30th (Mon) 2024 *Closed to the public from July 14th (Sun), 20th (Sat), 22nd (Mon) to 27th (Sat), August 10th (Sat), 11th (Sun), 24th (Sat), 27th (Tue), to 29th (Thu), September 1st (Sun), 10th (Tue) to 12th (Thu), 14th (Sat), 15th (Sun), 21st (Sat), 22nd (Sun), 28th (Sat), 29th (Sun).
Hours			Weekdays and Sundays: 11:00 - 17:00 (admission until 16:30) Saturdays and national holidays: 13:30 - 17:00 (admission until 16:30) *Exceptions: 13:30 - 16:30 (last admission) from 8/13 (Tue) to 8/16 (Fri)
Admission Fee			Adults ￥800 ・Age 6-12 ￥400
Access			● 6 minutes walk from Kyoto City Bus's Gion bus stop (bus #206 if coming from Kyoto Sta.) ● 12 minutes walk from Keihan Railway's Gion Shijo Sta. (From Kyoto Station, take JR Nara Line to Tofukuji Station to ride the Keihan train.)
Official Website			https://www.chourakukan.co.jp/en/

Daiun-in is a temple founded in 1587 to pray for the spirits of the famous sixteenth-century warlord Oda Nobunaga and his son Nobutada. On its precincts is the Gion-kaku tower. Designed in the shape of a hoko float of the Gion Matsuri Festival, it is one of the most unique and eye-catching structures in this area. Its interior, normally closed to the public, can be accessed for a limited time during the Kyoto Summer Special Openings, and visitors can climb up to the third floor. The Gion-kaku was originally built as a part of a residence belonging to Kihachiro Okura, corporate progenitor of the hotel and construction business congromerate Okura zaibatsu. It was designed by architect Chūta Itō, who also designed Tsukiji Honganji Temple and Meiji Jingu Shrine in Tokyo. The walls of the first and second floors are covered with reproductions of murals of the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, China. The third floor's interior is unique with bronze animals of the Chinese zodiac decorating the ceiling while lamps are held by gargoyle-like figures. The third floor also offers a panoramic view of Kyoto's cityscape.
Dates			July 12th (Fri) to September 30th (Mon) 2024 *Closed to the public on September 25th (Wed).
Hours			10:00 - 16:30 (Admission until 16:00)
Admission Fee			Adults ￥800 ・Age 6-12 ￥400
Access			● 5 minutes walk from Kyoto City Bus's Higashiyama Yasui bus stop (bus #206 if coming from Kyoto Sta.) ● 15 minutes walk from Keihan Railway's Gion-shijo Sta. (From Kyoto Station, take JR Nara Line to Tofukuji Station to ride the Keihan train.)
Official Website			https://www.daiunin.or.jp/en/gionkaku_okura_kihachirou/

This temple on the skirt of Kyoto's eastern hills with plenty of beautiful greenery belongs to the Shingon sect of Buddhism, which was founded by the Heian-period priest Kūkai (774-835). On its precincts is the Shinden, a building built in 1958 that is used to welcome special guests. This building will be made open to public for this limited period. Inside the Shinden you can see, vividly colored murals painted on gold-leaf by Inshō Dōmoto, a famous painter from Kyoto. During the Kyoto Summer Special Openings, you can also visit the garden, which has been designated as a Place of Scenic Beauty and is said to have been designed in a style favored by the famous tea ceremony master Sen-no-Rikyū. Rocks and plants are arranged to resemble the landscape of Mount Lu in China, complemented by beautiful greenery and colorful flowers of the season. During the Kyoto Summer Special Openings, you can also purchase a special-value ticket that includes admission to Chishaku-in's artifact museum. This museum newly opened in 2023 and exhibits National Treasure murals by Hasegawa Tohaku (1539-1610) and his school of Japanese painting, in addition to a portion of the eighty thousand or so artifacts belonging to Chishaku-in.
Dates			July 12th (Fri) to September 30th (Mon) 2024 *Exception: Museum will be closed on July 31st (Wed)
Hours			10:00 - 16:30 (Admission until 16:00)
Admission Fee			Adults ￥800 ・Age 6-12 ￥400
Access			● 3 minutes walk from Kyoto City Bus's Higashiyama Nanajo bus stop (bus #206 if coming from Kyoto Sta.) ● 10 minutes walk from Keihan Railway's Shichijo Sta. (From Kyoto Station, take JR Nara Line to Tofukuji Station to ride the Keihan train.)
Official Website			https://chisan.or.jp/en

Ninna-ji Temple was built in 888 CE, and it has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Emperor Uda (867-931) was born here, and he later lived here as the first head priest. Ninna-ji is what is called a monzeki temple. Monzeki refers to Buddhist priests of aristocratic or imperial lineage, priests who served the imperial family, and the temples where they lived. Ninna-ji is the head temple of the Omuro school of Shingon Buddhism. Most of its head priests were from the imperial family, and the head priest's residence was called "Omuro," an honorific term for "dwelling." Ninna-ji Temple's palace has a beautiful Japanese garden with an exquisite view of a five-storied pagoda. This is the only temple garden in Kyoto with a view of a five-storied pagoda. During the Kyoto Summer Special Openings, the "north garden," which was improved by the famous garden architect Ogawa Jihei, and the white-gravel "south garden" can be viewed from a special walkway. In addition, the Kuroshoin, which just underwent three years of restoration work since 2021, can now be visited. Inside, you can view fusuma-e paintings depicting bamboo, pine trees, and autumn plants painted about ninety years ago by Inshō Dōmoto, a Japanese painting artist who was also active internationally.
Dates			July 12th (Fri) to September 30th (Mon) 2024
Hours			9:00 - 17:00 (Admission until 16:30)
Admission Fee			Adults ¥ 1,000 Free for persons age 18 and below
Access			● 1 minute walk from Kyoto City Bus and JR Bus's Omuro Ninnaji bus stop (From Kyoto Station, take JR Sagano Line to Enmachi Station and then take Kyoto City Bus #26.) ● 3 minutes walk from Keifuku Electric Railroad's Omuro Ninnaji Sta. (From Kyoto Station, take JR Sagano Line to Uzumasa Station, then take Keifuku Electric Railroad from Satsueisho-mae Station.)
Official Website			https://ninnaji.jp/en/

Kamo Wakeikazuchi Jinja Shrine, commonly known as Kamigamo-jinja Shrine, is believed to have been founded in 677 CE, making it one of the oldest shrines in Kyoto. Two of its buildings have been designated as National Treasures, and there are 41 Important Cultural Properties on its large premise that has been registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The shrine is dedicated to a deity named Kamo Wakeikazuchi no Ōkami, who, according to legend, descended on Mt. Koyama to the north of the shrine in ancient times when deities ruled Japan. This shrine enters a ritual reconstruction period every twenty-one years called shikinen sengū. Prominent shrines have historically rebuilt and renewed their sacred structures at designated intervals to keep them "pure" and ever-new. In modern times, however, shikinen sengū at Kamigamo Jinja involves repairs and maintenance on the shrine buildings without complete reconstruction. The current Honden (Main Sanctuary) building was built in 1863 and has been maintained since then. When work is to be carried out on the Honden during the shikinen sengū period, the deity is symbolically transferred to an almost identical building, the Gonden. Both buildings are designated as National Treasures. The last shikinen sengū at Kamigamo Jinja was organized in 2015, and the next is set to take place in 2036. The area including the Honden and the Gonden is a sanctuary normally closed to the public, but a Shinto priest will guide visitors into this area during the special opening period. The roofs of both the Honden and the Gonden are thatched by layering the bark of hinoki cypress. This is a traditional thatching method called hiwada-buki that is not seen outside of Japan. Kamigamo Jinja is believed to be a place good for matchmaking, romantic fulfilment, preventing misfortune, and good health.
Dates			July 12th (Fri) to September 30th (Mon) 2024
Hours			10:00 - 16:30 (Admission until 16:00)
Admission Fee			Adults ￥800 ・Age 6-12 ￥400
Access			●1 minute walk from Kamigamo Jinja-mae bus stop on the Kyoto City Bus #4 ● 5 minutes walk from Kamigamo Misonobashi bus stop on the Kyoto City Bus #9
Official Website			https://www.kamigamojinja.jp/en/

Shimogamo-jinja Shrine, officially called Kamo Mioya Jinja, is believed to be one of the oldest shrines in Kyoto like Kamigamo Jinja Shrine. It has a primeval forest with about six hundred broadleaved trees--chiefly zelkova, hackberry, and muku elm--with ages ranging from two hundred to six hundred years old. The forest retains largely the same composition of flora since the third century BC, making it a highly valued place from the perspective of forest ecology and environmental science. Shimogamo Jinja has two buildings that have been designated as National Treasures, and there are fifty-three Important Cultural Properties on its large premises, the entirety of which has been registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Like Kamigamo Jinja, Shimogamo Jinja enters the ritual reconstruction period called shikinen sengū every twenty-one years. However, as with Kamigamo Jinja, the shikinen sengū at Shimogamo Jinja in modern times involves only repairs and maintenance on the shrine buildings. Shimogamo Jinja has two Honden (main sanctuary) buildings, which are dedicated to the deities Kamo-taketsunumi-no-mikoto and Tamayorihime-no-mikoto respectively. They were built in 1863 and are designated as National Treasures. During the special opening period, you can enter a special area from which you can view the Honden buildings closer. From here you can have a good view of the roofs of the Honden buildings are thatched using the traditional hiwada-buki cypress-bark thatching method unique to Japan. In addition, you can visit the Ōidono hall, which serves as the traditional preparation site (kitchen) for all religious offerings of meals for the deities in Shimogamo shrine. You can also visit Ryu-ga-Ike Pond. During a time when Shinto-Buddhism syncretism was widespread in Japan, Shimogamo Jinja also had a jingu-ji ("shrine-temple") on its precincts. Ryu-ga-Ike belonged to this jingu-ji and has been newly restored this summer. In addition, just south of Shimogamo Jinja's Tadasu-no-Mori forest, there is the Shusuisha museum. Here you can enjoy viewing exhibits related to the history of Shimogamo Jinja.
Dates			July 12th (Fri) to September 30th (Mon) 2024
Hours			10:00 - 16:30 (Admission until 16:00)
Admission Fee			Adults ￥800 ・Age 6-12 ￥400
Access			● 1 minute walk from Kyoto City Bus's Shimogamo-jinja-mae bus stop (bus #4 or #205 if coming from Kyoto Sta.) ● 12 minutes walk from Keihan Railway's Demachiyanagi Sta. (From Kyoto Station, take JR Nara Line to Tofukuji Station to ride the Keihan train.)
Official Website			https://www.shimogamo-jinja.or.jp/english/

The Old Mitsui Family Shimogamo Villa is a building that used to belong to the Mitsui family, a prominent merchant family in Japan. The family had built a shrine dedicated to their ancestors on this site in 1909. They needed a place to stay when visiting the shrine and thus commissioned this large residence in 1925. In the Kiyamachi area, the family had another residence and relocated its main building to the present location. The villa was transferred to the state in 1949, becoming government property, and it served as the housing of the chief of the Kyoto Family Court from 1951 to 2007. The main building and other structures from the Taisho period (1912-1926) have been maintained in an excellent condition. Highly valued as a fine example of large-scale traditional Japanese residence, it was designated as an Important Cultural Property in 2011. ■Main Building The main building has porches and windows opening to a fine garden on the south side. There is a watchtower on the third floor, offering a wonderful view of the Kamo-gawa River and the city's eastern mountains. It is also a highlight when considering the design of the garden as a whole. The 2nd and 3rd floors are generally not open to the public. However, during the special opening period, you can visit the 2nd floor, which has a view of the beautiful garden. ■Entrance Hall* The entrance hall section was added when the main building was relocated here. The architectural plan follows the traditional Japanese Shoin-zukuri style, but the ceiling is high and the interior has Western-style furnishings such as carpets, tables and chairs. ■Garden The moss garden in front of the building is beautifully tended. The water of the gourd-shape pond is drawn from the Izumi-gawa stream which runs through Shimogamo-jinja Shrine. The Old Mitsui Family Shimogamo Villa will also be open on weekend evenings for a limited period. The building and garden will be lit up with lanterns, creating a dreamy atmosphere. Dates: July 19th (Fri) to 21th (Sun), and July 26th (Fri) to 28th (Sun) (a total of six days) Time: 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM (last admission 8:00 PM) Fees: If visiting only the first floor, the admission is ¥1,200 for persons age 19 and above and ¥600 for persons ages 13 to 18 (includes one drink; tax included). If visiting the second floor as well, the total admission fee is ¥1,800 for persons age 19 and above and ¥900 for persons ages 13 to 18 (includes one drink; tax included). *Free admission for persons age 12 and below.
Dates			August 23rd (Fri) to 25th (Sun), 30th (Fri) to September 1st (Sun) 2024 *The building's first floor and the garden, however, will be open on all days except Wednesdays.
Hours			9:00 - 17:00 (Admission until 16:30)
Admission Fee			Adults ￥800 ・Age 6-12 ￥400
Access			● 5 minutes walk from Aoibashi Nishizume bus stop on the Kyoto City Bus #205 ● 5 minutes walk from Demachiyanagi Sta. bus stop on the Kyoto City Bus #4 or #7 ● 5 minutes walk from Keihan Railway's and Eizan Railway's Demachiyanagi Sta. (From Kyoto Station, take JR Nara Line to Tofukuji Station to ride the Keihan train.)
Official Website			https://kyoto.travel/en/historic-sites/258.html