Sanzen-In
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Attractions > Kyoto > Shrines Temples > Kyoto North
About | Access | Hotels & Lodging | Hours & Fees
Glorious garden at Sanzen-in near Kyoto Japan by Chi King (CC BY 2.0)
About
Sanzenin Temple (in Japanese; Sanzen In 三千院) is up in Ohara town, North of Kyoto (see our info on Ohara here). It takes about an hour, hour and a half to get there via subway then bus from Kyoto station. Sanzenin temple is the Main attraction of the town and many tourist shops line the street that lead up to the temple. Although Sanzenin is the "Main Attraction", there are many other smaller temples around Ohara worth visiting if you have a little extra time.
Sanzenin is a Buddhist temple of the Tendai sect and is a "monzeki" temple... meaning a temple who head priest was actually was a member of the Imperial family. The temple was founded by Saicho, the monk who introduced Tendai Buddhism to Japan. Since the temple is off the typical tourist beaten path (well, for foreigners... many Japanese do visit), it is usually less crowded and especially during the weekdays. Sitting in the forest the main temple and sub-temples are very beautiful and there of course are many gardens and "moss gardens". The temple was built in 985 (with some minor and major re-constructions over the centuries) and is very old.
Access
Closest Train Station: Kokusaikaikan
540 Ohara Raikoin-cho
Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 601-1242 Japan
Tel: 075-744-2531
Subway and Bus,
#1: Take the Karasuma Subway Line to its terminal station Kokusaikaikan Station, about 20 min.
#2: From Kokusaikaikan Station take the Kyoto City Bus #19 to Ohara, about 45min.
Hotels & Lodging
View a full list of Hotels and Lodging in or nearby Sanzen-In.
Hours & Fees
Hours: The grounds of Shrines and Temples are generally open 27/7, 365 days a year but, many set their own hours. If hours are set, they are generally open from 9:00 a.m. or 10:00 a.m. in the morning and close around 4:30 p.m. or 5:00 p.m. in the evening.
Cost: The general grounds of Shrines and Temples are free but may charge a small fee (a couple/few hundred yen) for special gardens, exhibitions, artifact viewing, etc.
Information presented is based on the time it was created. There may be changes since publication. Please confirm information by visiting the Official Website before visiting.
Resources
Website: Sanzen-In Homepage
