Kyoto · TojiNo.257★★★Open in map →
To-ji Temple
A UNESCO World Heritage temple just south of Kyoto Station, crowned by Japan's tallest wooden pagoda at 55 metres, and transformed every 21st of the month into a vast flea market.
To-ji stands at the southwestern edge of the old capital grid, a short walk from Kyoto Station. Its five-storey pagoda — rebuilt for the last time in 1644 — rises 55 metres above the low Kyoto skyline, the tallest wooden tower in Japan. Inside the Kondo and Kodo are some of the most powerful Buddhist sculptures in the country: the Kodo alone holds 21 figures arranged as a three-dimensional mandala, exactly as the monk Kukai designed it in the ninth century. On the 21st of each month the entire precinct fills with the Kobo-ichi market, where hundreds of dealers spread out antiques, kimono, ceramics and street food across the temple grounds.
Background & history
To-ji was founded in 796, two years after Kyoto became Japan's capital, as one of two temples flanking the main southern gate of the city — its name means 'East Temple'. The emperor Saga entrusted it to the monk Kukai (Kobo Daishi) in 823, and it became the headquarters of Esoteric Buddhism in Japan. The five-storey pagoda was destroyed by lightning four times and rebuilt each time; the current tower was completed in 1644 under the patronage of the Tokugawa shogunate. The flea market held on the 21st of each month honours Kukai's death anniversary and has been a feature of the temple for centuries.
What to look for — in walking order
- Keimon South Gate
- the main entrance from the south, facing Toji-michi street
- Kondo (Main Hall)
- the largest building on the grounds, housing a National Treasure triad of sculptures
- Kodo (Lecture Hall)
- contains 21 sculptural figures arranged as a mandala in three dimensions
- Five-storey Pagoda
- Japan's tallest wooden pagoda at 55 metres; interior open only during special periods
- Hyotan Pond (west side)
- the pond reflecting the pagoda, especially clear in spring and autumn
How to enjoy it
The Kondo and Kodo are open year-round for a paid admission (check toji.or.jp for current fees; updated from 2025). The Mieido hall is free to enter, as is the outer precinct. The pagoda interior opens only during special exhibition periods in spring and autumn. On the 21st of each month the Kobo-ichi flea market fills the grounds — over 1,000 stalls, busiest in the morning.
How to actually get there
- Kyoto Station Hachijo Exit → walk west on Hachijo-dori, then south on Aburanokoji-dori (~15 min on foot).
- Enter through Keimon Gate → visit Kondo then Kodo (paid admission area).
- Continue south to the Five-storey Pagoda and the Hyotan Pond on the west side.
- Walk from Kyoto Station (Hachijo Exit)
- Kyoto Station Hachijo Exit (south side) → walk west on Hachijo-dori, then south on Aburanokoji-dori, pass under the Kintetsu overpass → Keimon Gate. About 15 minutes on foot, no transit needed.
- Walk back to Kyoto Station
- Retrace the same route north to the Hachijo Exit, about 15 minutes. Alternatively, take one stop on the Kintetsu Kyoto Line from Toji Station to Kyoto Station (a few minutes, IC card accepted).
Before you go
- Cash
- IC cards (ICOCA, Suica) accepted on Kintetsu trains. Admission to Kondo and Kodo is paid at the gate; exact current fees at toji.or.jp. Market stalls are cash-preferred.
- Closing days
- Kondo and Kodo close in the late afternoon (last entry around 16:30). The Kobo-ichi market is held on the 21st of each month regardless of day of week; it is extremely crowded in the morning.
- Another way
- Kintetsu Kyoto Line: board at Kintetsu-Kyoto Station (connected to JR Kyoto Station) and ride one stop to Toji Station; from the exit it is about a 10-minute walk to the temple gate.
- After you get off
- From Toji Station (Kintetsu), walk north-west about 10 minutes to the Keimon Gate. From the JR Hachijo Exit, walk 15 minutes due west then south.