Reikan-ji Garden (the 'Valley Palace')
This season's opening
Autumn special viewing
- Hours
- 10:00–16:30 (last entry 16:00)
- Admission
- ¥800 adults, ¥400 primary-school children, preschoolers free
- Booking
- No bookingNo booking mentioned in the 2026 listing (Kyoto city tourism site)
In 2025 the garden, main hall and study hall were open, with a guide in the two halls (city tourism listing): the study moved from Emperor Go-Sai's palace, the main hall donated by the shogun Tokugawa Ienari, and the tall Reikan-ji maple in the garden
No parking. Anraku-ji (open daily from Nov 21) is a few minutes' walk away, so do both. There is also a spring viewing in camellia season
About the garden
An imperial convent founded in 1654 for a daughter of Emperor Go-Mizunoo, also known as the 'Valley Palace'. Its pond garden, with stones set upright among the moss, stays behind the gate for most of the year; you can see it, along with the study hall and main hall, only during the spring camellia and autumn maple viewings.
Where to stand
Once in the garden, find the tall maple known as the Reikan-ji kaede. Then lower your eyes and count the upright stones in the haircap moss as you move toward the pond. Look out for the Hannya-ji style stone lantern as well. The study hall was moved here from Emperor Go-Sai's palace; compare the birds and flowers of its 'Four Seasons' panels, attributed to the Kano school, with the trees outside. In spring the same garden is full of camellias, including the Nikko camellia that Emperor Go-Mizunoo loved.
Practical notes
Reikan-ji opens only for short spring and autumn viewings. Autumn 2026 runs Nov 20–Dec 6, 10:00–16:30 (last entry 16:00), ¥800, per the Kyoto city tourism site; in 2025 a guide explained the main hall and study. There is no parking. Anraku-ji and Honen-in are a few minutes away on foot.
Tea and food nearby
Small places within walking distance. Check their opening days against the garden's.
- 3 min walkfrom Anraku-ji Garden (Shishigatani)☕ CafeShishigatani Cafe
A twelve-seat drinks-only café near Honen-in. With no food on the menu, it suits a single cup and a talk between temple visits.
Order：Coffee or another drink (no food)
- 4 min walkfrom Anraku-ji Garden (Shishigatani)☕ CafeKoan (coffee)
A coffee shop in a renovated old house, opened in June 2025 and doubling as a barista's showroom. It is just down the slope from both Anraku-ji and Reikan-ji, so it fits neatly between the two.
Order：Coffee and a pastry
- 5 min walk🍡 SweetsKomichi (tea room)
An old-style sweets café toward the south end of the Philosopher's Path. Its standard is mitarashi dango served with kombu tea, sweet and salty in turn, a short walk down from Reikan-ji.
Order：Mitarashi dango with kombu tea, or matcha