Chionin

TEL :075-531-2111 Address :400 Rinkacho, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto Access :Kyoto Subway Tozai Line Higashiyama Station > 8 minutes walk

Introduction to Chionin temple

Chionin Temple began in 1175 when the monk Honen built a hermitage there. The first shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu, believed in this temple, and the third shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu, built various halls. It is now a huge temple and is the head temple of the Jodo sect.

Chionin Temple has two buildings that are designated as national treasures of Japan. One is the Sanmon Gate. It is a wooden building that is 24 meters (79 ft) high and 50 meters (164 ft) wide.

The other is the Mieido (main) Hall. Services are held here every morning and you can attend. The start time is 6:30am from December to February, 6am from March to May and September to November, and 5:30am from June to August. It takes about an hour.

The front door is decorated with a cicada.

There are many other halls designated as Important Cultural Properties.

Hidden gem

The bell is 3.3 metres (10.8 ft) tall, 2.8 (9.2 ft) metres in diameter, and weighs about 70 tons.

On New Year’s Eve, 17 people ring the bell.