Shokoku-ji Founder's Hall Garden and Hojo
This season's opening
Shokoku-ji Autumn Special Viewing
- Hours
- 10:00–16:00. Closed Oct 18–21 for ceremonies; partly changed hours Oct 3–5 and Dec 8; may change without notice.
- Admission
- ¥1,000; ¥500 school-age children
- Booking
- No booking
The normally closed Dharma Hall (Kano Mitsunobu's dragon ceiling), Hojo and Founder's Hall, whose south garden joins a flat gravel garden and a moss mound along the bed of the old Ryuen-sui channel.
The temple does not publish a last-entry time; the city and prefectural tourism sites give 16:00 as last entry. Arrive before 15:30 to be safe. The run lasts until Dec 15, so pick a weekday away from the maple weekends.
About the garden
The head temple that oversees Kinkaku-ji and Ginkaku-ji. The autumn viewing opens the south garden of the Founder's Hall, which joins two gardens in one: flat white gravel in front, a moss-covered mound behind, and between them a channel that once carried water on its way to the Imperial Palace.
Where to stand
Stand in front of the Founder's Hall and find the line between the white-gravel flat garden and the moss mound behind it. A stream about 1.5 m wide once ran there; the temple called it Ryuen-sui, and it dried up around 1935, so the channel is now for your imagination. In the Dharma Hall, stand directly under Kano Mitsunobu's coiled-dragon ceiling. At the Hojo, the plain gravel front garden is there to bounce daylight into the rooms.
Practical notes
The Dharma Hall, Hojo and Founder's Hall open only in spring and autumn; autumn 2026 is Sep 26–Dec 15, 10:00–16:00 (closed Oct 18–21; changed hours Oct 3–5 and Dec 8), ¥1,000 for all three. The temple may close or change hours without notice for ceremonies. About 8 minutes' walk from Imadegawa subway station.
Tea and food nearby
Small places within walking distance. Check their opening days against the garden's.
- 8 min walk☕ CafeHitsuji Cafe
A small 27-seat cafe on a residential stretch of Kamidachiuri-dori, a few minutes from the northwest side of Shokoku-ji; right for sharing one dessert after the halls.
Order：Skillet French toast
10:00–18:00 (last order 17:30) per the cafe's own site; Tabelog lists 11:00–19:30. Hours vary, so check aheadClosed: Sundays and holidaysAround ¥1,000Details ↗ - 9 min walk🍡 SweetsAMUCA (sweets cafe)
A quiet dessert-focused cafe in the backstreets toward Muromachi, the kind of place to linger with a book after craning up at the Dharma Hall ceiling.