To-ji Temple

You can see the To-ji Temple from a distance. Has a beautiful view from all the angles you look at it. Since it has a calm and open atmosphere, especially compared to more crowded temples, I recommend taking your time to really look around without feeling rushed. There are so many cute spots to look at the temple. Close by you can see the contrast between the wide grounds and the simple structures of Kyoto’s traditional landmarks.

Sadly there's no pictures inside, and the inside is what's worth visiting. The grounds feature a nice small japanese garden, well made and beautiful, yet the statues inside the main building are stunning! It's a bigger complex, but the main buildings have entry tickets. You can buy a combined ticket, which I recommend not for the museum, but for the Kanchi-in. Definitely enter the "kondo". Tree-sized Buddhas are awesome

To-ji Temple leaves a strong and steady impression without feeling overwhelming. The spacious grounds make it easy to walk around at a relaxed pace, and the five-story pagoda stands out clearly as the focal point. Even from a distance, its presence gives the area a distinct sense of history. The atmosphere is calm and open, especially compared to more crowded temples. You can take your time looking around without feeling rushed, and the layout feels straightforward. The contrast between the wide grounds and the simple structures creates a quiet balance that suits the temple well. Overall, To-ji feels grounded and dignified rather than dramatic. It’s a place where the scale and history speak for themselves, making it a solid stop for anyone interested in Kyoto’s traditional landmarks.

I went to Toji temple during momiji season illumination night. The temple is 5 mins away from Toji station and is easily accessible either by train, bus or walking from Kyoto station even. During my visit momiji season was near the end however I can still see some red leaves. I was vey mesmerised by the pagoda, ot was super duper huge upclose. I always see it in a photo and didn't thought it was that huge upclose. Nice pleasant experience visiting at night.

Visiting To-ji Temple at night during the autumn season is magical! The illuminated maple trees create a stunning, colorful display, and the temple’s architecture looks even more beautiful in the soft lights. It’s peaceful to stroll around, enjoy the crisp autumn air, and take in the reflections on the pond. A must-visit spot for anyone in Kyoto during fall!

One of the best temples we have been too. Won't bore you with temple part, but the best thing was, the sunday we went, they had a huge flea market. It was just awesome. All this great 2nd hand stuff within the grounds. Just blown away with happiness. I got a way cool wind up small clock and Mrs got some strange dolls lol

This temple is amazing to see during the winter lights. The lights really give a sense of autumn and makes the Maple leafs color really stand out. It has a great walking path and water features that will make it an enjoyable experience.

I came here for the autumn night viewing last November and it was nothing short of spectacular. The entire place is strategically lit up in a way that accentuates the structures and surrounding landscape. The pagoda in particular looks amazing and there is a lake in the garden area that reflects the pagoda off its surface. When I went, some of the buildings were open so you could look at the statues inside. Admission was ~1000 Yen, if I recall correctly. I hadn't planned on coming here originally but am very glad I made the spontaneous decision to do so.

After a long day of visiting other historical sites in Kyoto, our last destination was To-ji Temple, known for its five-storied pagoda. We arrived here via the Kyoto City Bus. The entrance for visitor tickets is closest to the Toji Higashimon-mae stop, located near Keigamon Gate toward the northeast side of the temple. Although the temple has other gates, you can only pass through this one for tickets. We arrived here at about 3 pm and spent an hour here. You can go inside the pagoda but only on the ground level. No pictures are allowed inside. It wasn't crowded and quite serene walking around and taking pictures of the temple and surrounding structures. There are multiple benches and a place to buy snacks near the ticket office. It did start raining around an hour after. According to a brochure I got and Wikipedia, the capital of Japan transferred from Nara to Heiankyo, the former name of Kyoto. Two years later, two guardian temples on the east and west sides of the main entrance of Heiankyo were established. To-ji, which means "east temple," has survived to the present day; however, it was reconstructed in 1644. The west temple disappeared in the 16th century. The temple grounds also include a main hall and lecture hall. The pagoda houses historical Buddhist relics. The structure measures 187 feet. First built in the ninth century, the pagodas have burned down four times. The present pagoda was reconstructed in the 17th century.

Went to Toji Temple twice in one day on a recent trip to Kyoto. It was the 21st of the month so we wanted to stop by the Kobo Ichi Flea Market that happens on the temple grounds before the crowds arrived, so we got there around 7:30 and got to walk through looking at all the little booths selling their wares. We got some solid daifuku and excellent takoyaki at the market before leaving to experience the rest of the day, and then we returned at 6pm for the night illuminations. Lots of people were waiting in line to enter when the temple opened again at night, but we were able to get some cool shots of the 5-floor pagoda lit up at night. Highly recommend both the flea market and the night illuminations; both were great experiences!

Kyoto, Minami-ku. December 2024. I've seen a lot of temples and shrines in Japan and they all kind of fade into a collective sigh. I enjoy the green grounds and architecture, but interiors are usually too dark, dusty, or forgettable. I'm not the person you want with you if temples and shrines are on your must-do list. To-ji is an exception. At night. Illuminated. To-ji's gojunoto, a five-storied pagoda, is the most striking building on the grounds. It is considered the most viewed temple structure in Kyoto as its proximity to Kyoto Station means the gojunoto is visible to passengers on the Tokaido Shinkansen. The gojunoto is considered a classical element of Buddhist architecture. The five tiers represent the five elements, earth, water, fire, wind, and space. The elements are represented by each tier with earth being the first at the bottom, and ascending to space as the final tier. There are many Buddhist gojunoto in Japan, including four in Kyoto. But seeing To-ji's illuminated at night was special. The pagoda and surrounding momiji leaves turning to fall colors are striking. And seeing them reflected on the calm surface of the nearby ponds, with the dark surface as a contrasting background was a sight I'll remember.

This is a huge temple complex that requires a ticket for certain areas like the garden. You can't buy it in advance. There is a separate night viewing ticket if you want to go when the garden is illuminated - you will be kicked out at 5pm if you have the day time ticket. The garden is great to visit assuming fall colors are out. Otherwise it's a nice visit but nothing particularly amazing. Expect many people unless you stay until just before closing or arrive very easy as they open.

This temple is beautiful. We went during the daytime and nighttime. Would definitely recommend going at night. The workers were very friendly and organized despite the crowd!

We had a chance to visit Toji Temple on the last Friday of our visit to Kyoto. During various times of the year they open the temple grounds and some of the halls in the evening for the public to view and enjoy. For us, we were able to visit during the autumn evening illumination. People lined up from about an hour before opening- a pretty long line. Don't let the line discourage you, once they open it moves pretty fast. Toji Temple is home to the tallest five story temple in Japan and during the autumn it provides a magnificent sight amid the changing colors of the leaves. You also have access to the temple treasures in two of the halls that are open to the public. If you are staying near the Kyoto train station the temple can be easily accessed as it is a short walk (15 minutes) from the Kintetsu line area of the station. If you take the Kintetsu line, it's the first stop after leaving the Kyoto station. While not as large or magnificent as many other temples in Kyoto, it has it's charm and historic reverence for the area. Definitely worth a visit, especially if you are in the Kyoto station area.

The Toji Temple is one of those grand religious shrines that dots the surface of Kyoto. Once upon a time I'm sure this was a truly inspirational and spiritual space. Today, it has because simply a tourist attraction. This temple, like all of the temples throughout Kyoto, receive an overwhelming amount of tourists from across the globe seeking to find something that no longer exists. Not unlike the pyramids of Egypt, any of the positive spiritual energy that existed within this temple has long ago been robbed by the photo taking masses. This is not to say that it is not a nice place. In fact, it is very beautiful. But, even though some people come here to pray, the essence of this place has become far more of a tourist attraction than anything else. There are two distinct sections of the temple grounds. One is the free section. From this area you can get a great view of the temple from the outside. You can also walk around the compound and see a nice little water area where you commonly see cranes, turtles, koi, and other wildlife. The other section of this temple grounds is the pay section. Here, you will have actual access to the temples where you can go in and see grand Buddha statues. These statues are, in fact, quite inspiring due to their massive size. Overall, if you are in Kyoto I definitely recommend that you do come and visit this temple. You just have to understand what you're getting into. You will more than likely encounter many more tourists then you will religious zealots.

Kyoto world heritage sites at night. I happened to see a poster on our first night there last November, about this particular temple being illuminated on certain evenings for autumn nights during our stay, and thought it might be a nice thing to do. Especially as it was more out of the way than most of the other heritage sites in town - and there are 17! So we headed over around 6 PM and grabbed a meal nearby (just your random, standard, off the street teppanyaki joint serving up aces food, like everywhere in this great city) before going in at 7 when they opened. And what a magical place it was. The tallest wooden tower in Japan, the five story pagoda about 15 mins south of the main train station, stands at 180 feet and it rises from the far distance in this low rise city, as you walk towards it. Built as were the other structures on the temple grounds over 1100 years ago at the South entrance to Kyoto, it was the guardian temple and then as now, a symbol of the city. A narrow reflecting pool in front of it held the beautifully lit reflection, with the almost full moon high in the sky above it. The astonishing joinery work of the structure was revealed as we approached it. The other buildings around it were also illuminated, and one, the great Kondo Hall with a spectacular double roof, was open to the public. It houses three of the sacred Buddha statues of the temple and they are beautiful to behold. I stealthily took a few photos, away from the vigilant guards. We reluctantly left this magical place along the little paths shining us on our way, and headed back to Gion where we were staying. I can't recommend enough a night visit to this or any temple here in the Fall. It is one of the treats of the season, and is only done in autumn to accentuate the turning foliage surrounding the buildings.

I thought this place was incredibly beautiful. Aside from the main attraction (the large pagoda) there is beautiful landscaping, a pond, and other large shrine-type structures on the property, each with its own beautiful interior design and back story. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the history of each structure. I would have given 5 stars except we were a bit peeved that we paid the full entrance price and were only able to walk around for about an hour before they closed. They would open again later that evening but our tickets would not cover that secondary admission and we'd have to buy new tickets so we didn't go. I did not see any sign in English advising that this would happen BUT even if such a sign was there, it just seems like BS that you'd charge full admission price knowing full well that we'd have a limited time there and wouldn't be able to see everything.

This review is only for their flea market! It happens once a month on the 21st from morning until afternoon! It's great to come here and browse through all the tents filled with wonderful goods and yummy foods! You'll find lots of treasures! Beautiful fabrics, home decor, pottery, etc. and tons of food vendors (the white taiyaki with custard filling was my all time fav item of food!). I highly recommend stopping by this temple if you are in the area. This flea market is free and a fun experience! It's one of my fav flea markets! :)

Beautiful temple grounds. If you come during cherry blossom season it would be beautiful. We came when the cherry trees were just starting to bud so we missed out. However, they have a large area of cherry trees which I'm sure would be spectacular when in full bloom. The temple grounds are extensive and there are several buildings worth seeing with some very noteworthy and impressive sculptures.

800円 is way overpriced for what they have here most of the time. I'd only recommend it if their blossoms are in bloom or if they have some special event, like a nighttime illumination. I came here (Feb 2019) because I read they open up the inside of the pagoda, which is usually closed off the rest of the year. I thought this meant folks would be able to go walk around inside - but it only meant that it was opened up a bit to allow people to try to gawk inside and see the artwork from a distance. Kind of feels like peeking into someone's house uninvited. To protect the original wood frames from the people coming to peer inside, what looks like bamboo handrails have been installed, but they aren't allowed to be used as actual handrails. There's a sign in Japanese only explaining that we shouldn't touch the precious bamboo handrails. I didn't pay close attention and ended up getting scolded. The lady pointed at the warning as if 100% of visitors would be able to understand it, like it was common sense. Ah Kyoto... the "international" city. Not really a good feeling after that... I just wanted to leave. On the plus side, there was some sort of samurai movie being filmed at one of the structures (Feb 14, 2019). A big movie crew was assembled, and just before 5pm (closing time of the temple), a big ensemble of characters in full makeup and costume paraded onto the set, many anachronistically wearing comfortable puff jackets over their traditional samurai clothes. I didn't want to shamelessly film them, but I may have snuck in a few photos...

This pagoda in Kyoto is said to be the tallest in Japan. Well, it's certainly one of the tallest I ever seen which is good enough for me. Beautiful grounds as well to explore for the ¥800 admission. Definitely worth visiting if you're coming to Kyoto and recommended.

And to yelper's Kyoto it was also said that good, Family also went to Toji that has been said that good. . What was good of Toji. The building itself was good. Admission ¥ 800 Five-story pagoda, such as the inner temple. In and I thought it was a little high. To put in is a great good. Garden views also great. I think I put in me fifty tower. I did not go to the Treasury. Click here for the If you put, ¥ 1 300 Good it was the most is, chilled rain It is. This is, I went to ,, Silver Week in Kansai drinks chilled rain, was really delicious. Then, it was like from the old days, the Uji milk Kintoki I ate. This is, but delicious sweet, sweet. But delicious. Souvenir shop was all out, such as pickles, Sakura salted (what you drink with hot water) was a hit. Later, you may call the Toji, I heard that you are sold at where that chilled rain. Directly from wholesalers, since buying and with not sold Thing. In souvenir ¥ 400 and it should have been purchased 京都のyelperさんもいいと言ってたし、 家族もいいと言ってた東寺に行ってきました。。 東寺の何が良かったか。 建物自体良かったです。入場￥８００ 五重塔、金堂など。 で少し高いと思ったけど。 中に入れるのは、good素晴らしいです。 庭の景色も素晴らしい。 五重の塔って中に入れるんだと思いました。 宝物殿にはいきませんでした。こちらを つけると、￥1 300 一番良かったのは、ひやしあめ です。 これは、関西の飲み物で、、シルバーウィークに行った ひやしあめは、ほんとに美味しかった。 そして、昔から好きだった、宇治ミルク金時を 食べました。 これは、甘くておいしいけど、甘い。 けど美味しい。 お土産屋さんは漬物など全部外れだったけど、 桜の塩漬け（お湯で飲むもの）は当たりでした。 後で、東寺に電話して、 あのひやしあめ何処で売ってるか聞きました。 卸から直接、買ってるので、売ってないとの ことです。 お土産で￥４００も購入すべきでした。

Toji is home to the largest pagoda in Japan, and one of the oldest as well. They brochure talks about how the pagodas are built to sway in earthquakes. Even five to six hundred years ago, Japanese builders realized that rigid tall structures fall during quakes, ones that can sway survive. Truly amazing to think about. This is a large temple with plenty of beautiful statues to explore. We also saw a heron patrolling one of the moats and stalking the tiny fish that called it home. Bonus!

Walking distance from Kyoto station. The five story pagoda of Toji is the tallest wooden tower in Japan and part of the historic monuments of ancient Kyoto. Worth seeing! Entrance fee about $8.

Toji Temple is an impressive pagoda and within walking distance from the Kyoto Train Station.