Kiyomizu-dera Special Night Viewing
Kiyomizu-dera · HigashiyamaKeihan 「清水五条」Station · about 25 min walk; City Bus 「五条坂」stop · about 10 min walkOpen in Google Maps ↗
Kiyomizu-dera holds its autumn special night viewing from November 21 to 30, 2026, staying open until 9:30pm (last entry 9:00pm) with no reservation needed; admission is ¥400. From the famous wooden stage you look out over illuminated maples and the Kyoto night view, while a beam of blue light rises from the temple into the sky — the compassion of Kannon, made visible.
Before you go
This is one of Kyoto's best-known autumn night illuminations, held three times a year (spring, summer, autumn). The main hall's stage juts out over a valley of maples, and at night the lit foliage glows below you while the city lights spread out beyond. The blue beam, described on the temple's own page as the light of Kannon's compassion, has become the symbol of Kiyomizu after dark.
Kiyomizu was founded in 778 and its present buildings were rebuilt in 1633 under Tokugawa Iemitsu; it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1994. The night viewing is a seasonal extension of the daytime visit: same temple, completely different atmosphere.
- The wooden stage at night: illuminated maples below, city lights beyond
- The blue beam of light — Kannon's compassion, per the temple
- No reservation needed, just show up during the 10-day run
- Late-November timing, at the peak of the maple season
- Getting there
- Keihan "Kiyomizu-Gojo" Station, about 25 minutes on foot (uphill); or city bus to "Gojozaka", about 10 minutes on foot (official access info).
- Booking
- No reservation needed. Admission ¥400, same as daytime (per travel media; the temple's night page does not list the fee). Open 6:00am–9:30pm during the period, last entry 9:00pm.
- Crowds
- Autumn nights at Kiyomizu are busy, especially weekends. Weekday evenings and arriving before 8pm are calmer.
- Good for
- Anyone in Kyoto during the maple season, photographers, and first-time visitors — the temple at night feels like a different place from the daytime.
- How it differs
- Compared with visiting in the daytime (huge autumn crowds, no blue beam), the night viewing trades some detail for atmosphere. Compared with other temple illuminations — Eikando's garden paths or Chion-in's grand scale — Kiyomizu's advantage is the stage itself: nowhere else do you stand on a 13-meter-high wooden platform looking down at lit maples. If you only do one night illumination in late November, this is the one most people picture.
How much is admission?
¥400, the same as the daytime admission (per travel media; the temple's own night page does not list a fee).
Do I need to book?
No. Just show up between November 21 and 30; entry is until 9:00pm.
What is the blue light?
The temple describes it as the light of Kannon's compassion, shining over the old capital. It is only lit during the special night viewings.
I have been in the daytime — is it worth going again at night?
The stage, the maples, and the blue beam look completely different after dark; many visitors consider the night version the main event.
Sources 清水寺官网：夜間特別拝観（日程・時間） · VELTRA 旅游媒体：清水寺基本信息（拝観料 400 円）
- The last entry is 9:00pm; do not cut it close
- The approach from Kiyomizu-Gojo Station is a 25-minute uphill walk — consider the bus if you want to save energy
- Nights on the mountain are cold in late November; bring a layer
- Wear shoes you can walk in: slopes and steps all the way up
- Time
- Last entry 21:00
- Price
- Adults ¥400, children ¥200
- Address (for taxis)
- 京都府京都市東山区清水1丁目294