Nishi Honganji is a Buddhist Temple, head of the Honganji faction of the Jodo-Shin Sect.
Officially known as Ryukokuzan Honganji, the temple has been a Unesco World Heritage Site since 1994.
Opening times and admission
Open daily from 5:30 am to 5 pm.
Admission is free.
How to get there
From Kyoto Station, you can take the 205 City Bus (3 stops, 8 minutes, 230 yen) or the 75 City Bus (5 minutes, 2 stops, 230 yen) to Nanajo Horikawa Stop and then walk for 2-3 minutes, but I prefer walking straight there from the station, a journey which takes around 12-15 minutes.
Address: 〒600-8501 Kyoto, Shimogyo Ward, Honganji Monzencho, Japan
The large temple precincts have numerous buildings, all worth exploring, but not all open to the public.
In Nishi Hongangi you can find Japan's oldest Noh Stage. You cannot enter the stage but you can catch a glimpse of it as you tour the buildings. Unfortunately for me, photography is also prohibited.
Here, you can also see the Hinkaku or Flying Cloud Pavilion, a beautiful three-storey building. The Flying Cloud Pavillion together with the Golden and Silver Pavillions, are collectively known as Kyoto's 'Three Great Pavillions'. Entry is not permitted, but photography fortunately is.
Out of the structures/monuments you can enter or get closer to some stood out to me more than others:
the Karamon - a beautifully decorated 16th-century four-pillar gate made me think I was back at the Imperial Palace.
The Founder's Hall (Goeido), built in 1636, is one of Kyoto's largest wooden buildings
The Great Ginko Tree - a 400-year-old tree designated as a Natural Monument of Kyoto.
How long does it take to visit Nishi Hongangi?
You can easily spend 1 to 2 hours seeing everything this beautiful temple has to offer.
It is quite close to Kyoto Station and it's not as crowded as other temples, so if you only have a couple of hours to spare, you might want to consider a quick visit to this fascinating place.
Have you ever been there? If so, I would love to hear about your visit there, in the comments below.
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I hope life is treating you well.
Take care.