Eikando Temple, established in the 9th century by Shinjo, a disciple of Kukai (Kobo Daishi), was initially built on its present location and named "Zenrin-ji," or "Temple in a Calm Grove," by Emperor Seiwa in 863 AD.
Eikando, originally a temple of the Shingon sect's Esoteric Buddhism and a proponent of the Sanron sect's Pure Land teachings, transitioned to the Jodo sect after 1224.
The admission fee is 600 yen for adults.
The nearest subway station is 15-20 minutes from Eikando Zenrin-ji.
Eikando Zenrin-ji, or Eikando Temple, is the principal temple of the Seizan branch of Japan's Jōdo-shū sect in Kyoto.
Traveler reviews
Visiting Eikando for the night maple illumination was a unique and memorable experience. The lighting beautifully highlights the vibrant autumn leaves, giving the whole temple garden a magical atmosphere. It feels completely different from daytime viewing—warmer, deeper, and full of charm.
That said, be prepared for very heavy crowds. The paths move slowly, and it can take quite a while to get through the grounds. Still, the scenery is stunning enough to make the slow pace worth it.
A wonderful spot for night-time autumn foliage.
Entrance fee is 1,000 yen, cash-only. I visited on 2025 Dec 1 as it opened. There was a queue to get in but the line moved quickly.
The fall foliage was beautiful and seemed to be at the peak, or a little past it. There were lots of people trying to take pictures of themselves so anywhere with fall foliage is quite chaotic. Still, the garden and the temple ground are mesmerizing.
The super colour temple. You take your shoes off and go through the whole complex, which was a very rare experience, and then you can take a walk around the outside of it. And there these color flags/sunshades everywhere making it look even more interesting. Gardens are amazing during autumn/mid+ November.
I visited last November to see the evening illuminations. I’ll therefore only be judging the temple in that context.
A superb spot to enjoy the autumn illuminations, which I highly recommend. It’s truly beautiful, though unfortunately a bit too crowded, enough so that it was a bit of a nuisance at times. I had to queue to get in; once inside, it was generally very crowded, with large crowds gathering at certain key spots to take photos.
I don’t think it’s necessarily the best place in Kyoto to enjoy the illuminations, but the site remains magnificent and is definitely worth a visit.
Awesome Autumn colour today at this beautiful ancient temple complex.
Truly everywhere I turned there was an exquisite view to enjoy. I arrived on a perfect blue sky morning at about 9am, as it opened .. I spent 4 hours taking the whole vibe in, from the gardens to Pagoda and through the temple. There was time to sit and enjoy…
Today Japanese & locals were out in force enjoying Autumn so artfully displayed in nature at Eikando-ji
Not to be missed…
