Toji Temple
Attraction 1 Kujyomachi, Minami-ku, Kyoto 601-8473,Kyoto Prefecture Published on: 29-02-2016
| 1 hours 30 mins | |
| 08:30 AM - 05:30 PM | |
| 09:00 AM | |
| 10:30 AM | |
| First-time visit | |
|
Attraction
Cultural
Outdoor
Scenic
Must see
Kids
Free
Architecture
Temple & Monument
|
|
| 4.50 USD |
Toji Temple is good for
Family with kids
Good
Senior
Good
Couple
Good
Solo
Good
Group
Good
- Highly recommended by fellow travellers.
and 2 others
have visited this place
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Why Toji Temple is special ?
Toji Temple was founded in 794 on imperial orders from the Emperor Kammu to pray for national peace and in 823 was given to Kobo Daishi (aka Kukai), the founder of the Shingon school of Japanese Buddhism.The large temple, together with its now defunct sister temple Saiji ("West Temple"), flanked the south entrance to the city and served as the capital's guardian temples.
The plain, wooden main hall (Kondo) dates from 1603 and was built by Hideyori, the son of warlord Hideyoshi Toyotomi in a combination of native, Chinese and Indian styles. This building contains statues of the Yakushi (Healing Buddha) and his assistants Nikko and Gakko.
Toji Temple is a Buddhist temple of the Shingon sect in the city center of Kyoto, Japan . It is one of Kyoto's many UNESCO world heritage sites.
What to explore at Toji Temple?
Toji’s key structures are a five-storey pagoda, a kondo and a kodo.
The Kondo Hall, one of Toji's original structures, is the temple's main hall and largest building. Just next door stands the Kodo Hall, which was added in 825 by Kobo Daishi and served as the temple's lecture hall
Across from the Kondo and Kodo stands Toji's five storied pagoda, which was originally erected by Kobo Daishi in 826. It stands 57 meters tall, making it the tallest pagoda in Japan, and has become a symbol of both the temple and Kyoto as it can be seen from many places across the city. The ground floor of the pagoda is irregularly opened to the public and houses four smaller Buddha statues.
To the west, outside of the paid area stands the Miedo Hall (Founder's Hall) with a statue of Kobo Daishi. And nearby is the Homotsukan Museum, Toji Temple's treasure house, which displays several large Buddhist statues and other important artifacts. However, the museum is only open from late March to late May and again from late September to late November.
Source : http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3919.html
How to get to Toji Temple?
Nearest stations and bus stops:
Kintetsu Line Toji Station (a 10-minute walk)
JR Kyoto Station Hachijo-Exit (a 15-minute walk)
Bus stops : 'Toji Minamimon-mae' , 'Toji Higashimon-mae' , 'Kujo Omiya' and 'Toji Nishimon-mae' bus stops
Source : http://www.toji.or.jp
It takes 2-5 minutes to go here from Kyoto Station ( ￥150 - $1.3)
Selling points
- Magnificent buddhist temple buildings and alive!
- Very Old Artifacts where Vivid Beauty Survives”
- A spectacular temple and gardens
- Calm temple with impressive sunset
- A spacious inner city temple complex
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- Duration
- 4.0 days
- Estimated
- 181.16 USD
- Total travel distance
- km
- Number of places
- 20 places
Location
1 Kujyomachi, Minami-ku, Kyoto 601-8473,Kyoto Prefecture
Tips for you
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There is a popular flea market held at Toji on the 21st of every month until around 4:30, and a smaller one on the first Sunday of the month. The flea market feautures a variety of antiques, art, clothes, pottery, some food, and typical second-hand flea market goods.Shopping
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From the parking lot entrance you can seethe temple peaking over the trees and a horizon of blooming water lilies so you can take lots of nice picturesPhotography
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The café is reasonable and comfortable with both indoor and outdoor seating with beautiful views of the grounds.Drink
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You should keep quiet when you go to the temples because there are some people praying. There is no photography allowed inside, it is extremely quiet in the room.Rule
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There is also the Fusatsu Ceremony which is held every 15th day of the month.Events
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March 20-September 19: Open from 8:30am to 5pm September 20-March 19: Open from 8:30am to 4pmTimming
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The gardens and the temple are beautiful and you can also participate in a prayer ritual to help you along with some of lifes problemsExperience
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Entry to the temple's grounds is free, but visitors should pay ￥500 ($4.2) to approach the Main Hall (Kondō) and pagoda. Entry to the Hōmotsu-kan is an additional ￥500 ($4.2), but you can purchase a combined ticket for ￥800 ($6.7)Ticket and Pricing
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There were lots of food stalls inside and you will came across a night sakura tree in awe. You shoul try all the yummy local foodies inside. Just right in the centre of GionEat
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Toji Temple is close to Umekoji Park to the west but there is little of other interest in the area south of Kyoto Station.Things nearby
Reviews
If you like the delicate and decorative characteristics of Japanese culture, you may like the Kinkaku-ji better. Toji temple is completely different. It is more on the solemn and vast side in aesthetics, with a hint of mysticism. Three main worship halls align neatly on the middle axis on a vast ground lined with big trees, including a gigantic cherry blossom named "unparalleled cherry". Besides the very stunning historical wooden architecture, not to mention the famous 5-storey pagoda which is the tallest of its kind in Japan, I was most impressed by the Buddhist statues inside the two main halls. Because Master Konghai who was given this temple by the government was a Vajrayana Buddhist Master, the statues the monks worship there are not those usually seen in most Chinese or other Japanese temples. Most of them are larger than human size, and are mostly national treasures. They are genuinely fascinating artifacts and I spent a long time gazing at the beautiful expressions and gestures crafted in great details covered now with a layer of faded gold, still glimmering in the rustic background of the wooden architecture. Unfortunately photography is not allowed inside. A separate museum houses a dozen of interesting works of painting of mandalas and a huge thousand-hand Bodhisattva, also with a life-size statue of Master Konghai in attractive depiction of his meditation gesture and running drapery of his robe. The best location to photo the pagoda I think is near the entrance behind the big cherry tree. There is a pond where the reflection of the pagoda creates an absolute poetic view with the impressive wooden structure. Hope the cherry blooms forever
A must-visit, despite its inconvenient location a taxi ride to the southwest of Kyoto Station. Tallest pagoda in Japan. Not much else to see but the pagoda and the lovely garden
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.x
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