Shinnyo-in Garden
This season's opening
Shinnyo-in garden special opening
- Hours
- Only on seven weekend and holiday dates (Oct 17, 18, 24, 25, 31; Nov 1, 3). 10:00–15:00 (entry closes at 15:00)
- Admission
- ¥600
- Booking
- No bookingNo booking mentioned (city tourism site)
The normally closed temple shows its dry garden of scale-shaped stones laid out as a flowing stream; said to have been made for Ashikaga Yoshiaki on Nobunaga's orders, and restored by Shigemori Mirei
The temple has no website; dates and fee come from the city tourism site, which labels Nov 3 as a Monday, though in 2026 it is a Tuesday holiday. No parking
About the garden
A Nichiren temple with its gate on Inokuma-dori, just west of Horikawa-Gojo, normally closed to visitors. Its dry garden lays out scale-shaped stones to suggest a flowing stream; tradition says Oda Nobunaga had it made for Ashikaga Yoshiaki, the last Ashikaga shogun, and the modern designer Shigemori Mirei restored it. It opens on only seven autumn weekend and holiday dates.
Where to stand
Once you are settled in front of the garden, follow only the run of scale-shaped stones. The way they face and overlap is your clue to which way the water flows. Each of you decide privately where the stream begins and ends, then point on the count of three. Most dry gardens suggest water with raked gravel; here the shape of the stones does that job.
Practical notes
Shinnyo-in opens only on seven weekend and holiday dates in 2026 (Oct 17, 18, 24, 25 and 31; Nov 1 and 3), 10:00–15:00, ¥600. The temple has no website, so these details come from the Kyoto city tourism site; check it again before you go. There is no parking: take city bus 9 from Kyoto Station to Horikawa-Gojo and walk about three minutes.
Tea and food nearby
Small places within walking distance. Check their opening days against the garden's.
- 2 min walk🍡 SweetsAshibe (standing cake bar)
A tiny 'standing cake bar' with about eight places in a renovated townhouse just north of Omiya-Gojo. Pair a slice of cake with wine or bourbon and talk over the dry garden; it may close early once the cakes sell out.
Order：A slice of cake with a glass of wine
13:00–21:00 (last order 20:00)Closed: Irregular; closing days are posted on the shop's Instagram¥1,000–3,000Details ↗ - 5 min walk🍽 FoodPucciro (Italian)
A 14-seat Italian place up Omiya-dori at Takatsuji, with a hand-made pasta lunch; it is open on Shinnyo-in's weekend and holiday opening days. Bookings get priority, so call ahead for lunch.
Order：The hand-made pasta lunch
12:00–14:30 (last order 13:30), 18:00–22:30 (last order 21:30)Closed: Thursdays¥2,000–3,000 at lunch, ¥5,000–6,000 at dinnerDetails ↗