Tenryu-ji, Kyoto: Hours, Tickets and the Sogen Pond Garden

Tenryu-ji is a Zen temple in Arashiyama, on the western edge of Kyoto. It was established in 1339 and is registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The pond garden behind its main halls is the reason most people come, and the temple also has a painted dragon on the ceiling of its Dharma Hall. It sits close to the bamboo grove, so most visits combine the two.

When to Go

The temple opens at 8:30 a.m. and closes at 5:00 p.m. Last admission to the garden is 4:50 p.m., and the halls take last entry at 4:30 p.m. In 2026 the temple also opens its garden desk from 7:30 a.m. between November 14 and 30, an early-morning period it announces each year, so check its pages if you travel in autumn.

The temple says its buildings are occasionally closed without notice for ceremonies and other activities. The temple publishes its scheduled closures each year on its visit page. The Dharma Hall with the cloud dragon is open on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, and during designated spring and autumn periods.

For the rest of the Arashiyama day, including the bamboo grove and the river, read the Arashiyama guide.

Practical Information

• Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., last admission to the garden at 4:50 p.m. The halls (Daihojo, Shoin and Tahoden) are open 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. with last entry at 4:30 p.m.
• Garden admission: ¥500 for high school students and adults, ¥300 for elementary and junior high students, and free for preschool children. Visitors with a disability certificate and one helper get ¥100 off.
• Garden and halls: the garden fee plus ¥300.
• Cloud dragon painting: ¥500 per person, separate from the garden and halls fee. The Dharma Hall entrance is on the west side of the hall.
• Tickets: sold at the garden entrance, the main building entrance and the north gate entrance.
• Getting there: the temple lists a 5-minute walk from Arashiyama Station on the Keifuku line, a 13-minute walk from Saga-Arashiyama Station on the JR Sagano Line and a 15-minute walk from Arashiyama Station on the Hankyu line. City buses 11, 28 and 93 stop at Arashiyama Tenryu-ji Mae. See Getting Around Kyoto for passes.
• Parking: 100 spaces, with no reservations. Cars are ¥1,000 per visit. The lot is open 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Contact: the temple office is on 075-881-1235, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

What to See

The Sogen Pond Garden

The Sogenchi garden was laid out nearly 700 years ago by the Zen master Muso Soseki, the temple's founding abbot, and it keeps its original appearance. The temple says it was the first place in Japan designated a Site of Special Historic and Scenic Importance. It is a strolling garden with a level path around the pond, and it uses the nearby hills as borrowed scenery. A group of upright stones across the pond represents the Dragon Gate Falls, and a carp stone sits beside it, as if the fish is turning into a dragon.

The Halls and the Cloud Dragon

The Kuri, the living quarters with a high curved gable, is the building the temple says is photographed most often. The ceiling of the Dharma Hall carries a cloud dragon painted by Kayama Matazo in 1997, replacing an earlier painting. It is open on set days and has its own ticket. The Hojo, which faces the pond, holds a Buddha image that the temple says dates to the late Heian period. The training hall (Sodo) is closed to the public.

The North Gate and Beyond

The Hyakkaen garden of flowering trees and herbs lies along the path to the north gate. Beyond the gate, the temple says the road leads through the Sagano bamboo forest and to Okochi Sanso, Jojakko-ji and Rakushisha. For manners at temples, read Temple Etiquette in Kyoto.

History in Brief

Ashikaga Takauji, the first Ashikaga shogun, established Tenryu-ji in 1339 in memory of Emperor Go-Daigo, with Muso Soseki as founding abbot. It was consecrated in 1345 and ranked first among Kyoto's Five Mountains, the city's major Zen temples. The temple says it has been struck by eight major fires, most recently in 1864, and most of the buildings today date from the late 19th century and later.

Questions Visitors Ask

Is the garden worth the extra ¥300 for the halls?

The temple lists them as separate: the garden is ¥500, and the halls add ¥300. Choose the garden alone if you only want the pond view.

Is the dragon painting always open?

No. The temple says the Dharma Hall is open on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, plus designated spring and autumn periods, and a separate ¥500 ticket applies.

Is there a free part?

The temple's pages do not list one. The bamboo grove beside it is a public path. See Free Things to Do in Kyoto.

Which station is closest?

The temple lists Arashiyama Station on the Keifuku line, a 5-minute walk. See the Arashiyama guide for train options.