Kiyomizu dera Temple

Name: Kiyomizu dera Temple
Address: 605-0862 1 294, Kyoto, Kyoto, JP
Telephone: +81 75-551-1234

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About

Kiyomizu-dera is a Buddhist temple on Otowa-san hill in Higashiyama, eastern Kyoto, head temple of the Kita-Hosso sect, known for its wooden stage.

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Why go

The wooden stage of the main hall, about 13 metres above the stones at the foot of the cliff, with a view over the city.
The Otowa-no-taki waterfall, where three channels pour into one basin; visitors catch the water in metal cups and drink it.
Jishu-jinja, a Shinto shrine in the grounds: a pair of love stones 10 metres apart, which single visitors try to walk between with eyes closed.
The three-storey pagoda, reached after entering through the Niō gate and the west gate.

Opening hours

Today06:00 – 18:00Show all

Monday06:00 – 18:00

Tuesday06:00 – 18:00

Wednesday06:00 – 18:00

Thursday06:00 – 18:00

Friday06:00 – 18:00

Saturday06:00 – 18:00

Sunday06:00 – 18:00

Don't miss

Traditional arts on the stageGagaku, noh, kyogen and kabuki have long been performed on the stage.The stage of the main hall
New Year and obon boothsBooths on the grounds sell holiday foods and souvenirs.The temple groundsNew Year and the obon festival
Souvenir shops and talismansSouvenir shops line the main approach road, and vendors sell talismans along it.The main approach road to the temple

Know before you go Legends and hidden details

Know before you go

Open every day, 06:00 to 18:00.
The inner sanctuaries are normally closed to visitors, but special services allow entry.
Jumping from the stage has been banned since 1872.
The main hall is under repair.

Legends and hidden details

The spring the monk discovered still flows with clear water today.
Legend names Gyōei Koji as the founder. He is given an age of 200 years, and he handed the rest of the work to Kenshin before leaving for the eastern provinces.
Legend says the warrior Sakanoue no Tamuramaro met Kenshin while hunting deer and offered to help build a temple.
Legend holds that after he converted to faith in Kannon, the hunter gave his house to become the main hall.
Legend holds that a hermit gave the monk sacred wood for carving an image, then vanished.
Legend holds that drinking from the three channels of the waterfall brings health, long life and success in studies.
Under an Edo-period tradition, surviving a 13-metre jump from the stage granted a wish.
Edo-period records list 234 jumps, and 85.4 per cent of jumpers survived.
Completing the walk between the love stones with eyes closed is seen as a sign of a future romantic meeting.
Captioned picture scrolls, the Rouleaux illustrés des événements funestes du temple de Kiyomizudera, also tell the temple's origin legends.

Services and visiting hours

1st day of each month: Ceremony for good love
12 December: Kanji of the Year ceremony Held each year since 1995.
Through the year: Traditional annual events and special viewings

Interesting facts4

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The name Kiyomizu means pure water, after the waterfall within the grounds.
Kiyomizu-dera - Wikipedia
An idiom about jumping off the Kiyomizu terrace means making a firm decision.
Kiyomizu-dera - Wikipedia
21 finalists
The temple was one of 21 finalists for the New Seven Wonders of the World.
Kiyomizu-dera - Wikipedia
The hidden principal image is a Jūichimen Kannon, affectionately called Kiyomizu no Kannon-san.
音羽山清水寺

Shorts

History

The grounds hold over 1250 years of history. Toyotomi Hideyoshi granted the temple an estate of 130 koku for its upkeep. The temple also bought the surrounding plots to prevent high-rise buildings nearby.

778Legend dates the founding, when a dream leads the monk Kenshin to Mount Otowa.
1063–1629Fires burned the complex many times, until its destruction in 1629.
1165Warrior monks of Enryaku-ji burned the temple down.
1469Fire destroyed the temple during the Ōnin War.
1633The main hall was rebuilt with a donation from Tokugawa Iemitsu.

Show all

1994Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, as part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto.

How to get there

On footTwo roads reach the grounds: up Kiyomizu-zaka from Niō-mon, or up Chawan-zaka to the disaster-prevention road.
On footSome map apps show routes that do not reach the grounds; check the route ends on one of these two roads.
10 minBusBuses 206 or 100 to the Gojō-zaka stop, then a 10-minute walk.
10 minBusBus 207 toward Tōfuku-ji to the Kiyomizu-michi stop, then a 10-minute walk.
10 minBusBus 18 runs only on Saturdays and holidays, to the Gojō-zaka stop, then a 10-minute walk.
135 minTrainBullet train from Tokyo Station to Kyoto Station, about 2 hours 15 minutes.
80 minTrainTrain from Kansai International Airport station to Kyoto Station, about 1 hour 20 minutes.
60 minBusLimousine bus from Itami Airport to Kyoto Station (Hachijō exit), about an hour.

Accessibility

Access guidance for wheelchair users Wheelchair users are sent to a separate page on the temple's site that explains access.

Sources: Kiyomizu-dera - Wikipedia · Kyoto/Higashiyama - Wikivoyage (see) · 音羽山清水寺 · 歴史 | 音羽山清水寺 · 交通 | 音羽山清水寺 · Kiyomizu-dera - Wikipedia · Kiyomizu-dera - Wikipedia · checked 18 Oct 2026

Where

605-0862 1 294, Kyoto

Website: kiyomizudera.or.jp/
Phone: +81 75-551-1234

Plan from here: A day out →

Questions and answers

Which roads lead to the grounds of Kiyomizu-dera Temple?

Two roads reach the grounds: up Kiyomizu-zaka from Niō-mon, or up Chawan-zaka to the disaster-prevention road. Some map apps show routes that do not reach the grounds, so check that the route ends on one of these two.

Is Kiyomizu-dera Temple wheelchair accessible?

Wheelchair users are directed to a separate guidance page.

Is Kiyomizu-dera Temple one of the few Kyoto temples older than the capital's move to Heian-kyō?

Yes, it is one of the few Kyoto temples that predates the move to Heian-kyō.

What is performed on the stage at Kiyomizu-dera Temple?

Gagaku, noh, kyogen and kabuki have long been performed on the stage.

What are the opening hours of Kiyomizu-dera Temple?

The temple is open every day from 06:00 to 18:00.

How do I contact Kiyomizu-dera Temple?

Call 075-551-1234.

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