Kodai-ji Autumn Special Night Viewing

Before you go

Kodai-ji was founded in 1606 by Nene (Kita-no-mandokoro), the wife of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, to mourn him, with the support of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Highlights include the historic garden with Garyo-chi and Engetsu-chi ponds, the bamboo grove, the Garyuro covered corridor leading to the Kaisan-do hall, and the Otama-ya mausoleum enshrining Hideyoshi and Nene (an Important Cultural Property). On autumn nights the garden and bamboo are illuminated, with foliage reflected in the ponds; this year adds projection mapping themed on Hideyoshi's death poem, 「a dream within a dream」.

Getting there

526 Kodaiji Shimokawara-cho, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto. About 7 minutes on foot from the Higashiyama Yasui bus stop; 10 minutes from Keihan Gion-shijo Station; 15 minutes from Hankyu Kyoto-kawaramachi Station.

Booking

No reservation needed; buy tickets on site — once you exit, the same ticket cannot be used for re-entry. Three-site discount ticket (Kodai-ji + Entoku-in + Sho Museum): ¥1,200.

Crowds

Not a timed-entry system, so you can go at your own pace; note that re-entry on the same ticket is not allowed.

Good for

Autumn-night strollers and travelers who love gardens and light; easy to combine with Entoku-in next door.

How it differs

Eikando's illumination is grander but draws bigger crowds; Kiyomizu-dera pairs lights with night views but involves steep slopes; Entoku-in next door can be visited together (¥500). Choose Kodai-ji for the 2026-exclusive new projection mapping, the rare day-and-night same price of ¥800, and bamboo grove plus pond reflections plus rock garden in a single visit. A three-site ticket (Kodai-ji + Entoku-in + Sho Museum) costs ¥1,200.

After Hideyoshi died in 1598, his widow Nene resolved to build a temple for his memorial, and with the backing of Tokugawa Ieyasu — the new power in the land — Kodai-ji was founded in 1606. Originally a Soto Zen temple, it converted to the Rinzai Kennin-ji school in 1624. The Kaisan-do, Otama-ya, and teahouses survive in their original form from the founding era.