Kogen-ji Kosho Garden (Arashiyama)
This season's opening
Kogen-ji Autumn Special Opening
- Hours
- 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:45)
- Admission
- ¥500; ¥300 children; combined ticket with Hogon-in ¥1,000
- Booking
- No booking
The normally closed temple shows its Kosho dry garden, paintings by Takeuchi Seiho and others, the Bishamonten statue (Important Cultural Property) and the 1864 sword cuts on its pillars.
Next door to Hogon-in; use the combined ticket. The temple site has not posted autumn details yet; dates are from the city tourism site.
About the garden
A Tenryu-ji sub-temple founded in 1429 by Hosokawa Mochiyuki, deputy to the shogun. Its dry garden, the Kosho-no-niwa, is meant to be viewed seated from the main hall with Arashiyama behind it. Pillars in the hall still bear cuts said to be from Choshu samurai testing their swords in 1864.
Where to stand
Sit on the veranda and let your eyes travel from the near gravel to the back and up to Arashiyama. Find the boat-shaped stone with its imagined sail, and the gravel turns into water. Then look for the sword cuts on the pillars, the rooms of modern Japanese paintings including Takeuchi Seiho, and the Bishamonten statue (Important Cultural Property).
Practical notes
Open only in spring and autumn; autumn 2026 is Oct 3–Dec 6, 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:45), ¥500. The ¥1,000 combined ticket with Hogon-in is the better deal. It is a seated garden: take your time on the veranda before looking for the sword cuts.
Tea and food nearby
Small places within walking distance. Check their opening days against the garden's.
- 2 min walkfrom Hogon-in Shishiku Garden (Arashiyama)🍡 SweetsOimatsu Arashiyama (Japanese sweets)
The Arashiyama branch of a confectioner founded in 1908, with a tea room at the back; in the same block as Hogon-in, so easy before or after the garden.
Order：Hon-warabi mochi (bracken-starch jelly)
- 12 min walkfrom Hogon-in Shishiku Garden (Arashiyama)🍽 FoodSaganoya (local diner)
An 80-year-old diner beside JR Saga-Arashiyama Station. A short step off the tourist strip, it still serves set meals after the evening illumination.
- 12 min walkfrom Hogon-in Shishiku Garden (Arashiyama)🍶 BarBar Thule Doux
A proper cocktail bar near Hankyu Arashiyama Station, across Togetsukyo: one drink after the illumination. Smoking is allowed at every seat.
20:00–03:00Closed: No closing day listed (Tabelog and Gurunavi show it open daily, 20:00–03:00)Details ↗