invme Place
Everywhere
All cities · Everywhere →
EN
ENEnglish RURussian FRFrench DEGerman ITItalian ESSpanish PTPortuguese PT-BRBrazilian Portuguese ES-MXLatin American Spanish FR-CACanadian French EN-GBBritish English UKUkrainian PLPolish JAJapanese NLDutch KOKorean SVSwedish DADanish NBNorwegian FIFinnish CSCzech HEHebrew ELGreek ZH-HANTTraditional Chinese HUHungarian RORomanian HRCroatian SKSlovak SLSlovenian ETEstonian LVLatvian LTLithuanian BGBulgarian TRTurkish

Sanjusangendo Temple

Places of worship ·Kyoto ·Closed
4.721.6K
#3Places of worship in Japan#3Places of worship in KyotoTravelers' Choice Best of the Best 2026
Make a plan here
Directions Website Call Bookmark

Sign up free — See who's going and message them.

Is this your place? Get the badge for your website

More photos 11

1 / 11
Sanjusangendo Temple

Sanjusangendo TempleSanjusangendo TempleSanjusangendo TempleSanjusangendo TempleSanjusangendo TempleSanjusangendo TempleSanjusangendo TempleSanjusangendo TempleSanjusangendo TempleSanjusangendo TempleSanjusangendo Temple

Why go

  • Wasa Daihachiro's 1686 archery record: 13,053 arrows shot, 8,133 of them hits, the all-time mark of the Tōshiya contest.
  • The Festival of the Great Target, a modern Tōshiya that draws roughly 2,000 participants.
  • The hondō, the main hall, 118.22 m long, with the 33 bays between its pillars that give the temple its name.

Opening hours

Today08:00 – 16:30Show all
Monday08:00 – 16:30
Tuesday08:00 – 16:30
Wednesday08:00 – 16:30
Thursday08:00 – 16:30
Friday08:00 – 16:30
Saturday08:00 – 16:30
Sunday08:00 – 16:30

Don't miss

  • Central Jūichimen Senju KannonThe large central statue by Tankei, a Kamakura sculptor, with eleven faces and a thousand arms.On the central platform of the main hall, which rises in ten steps toward the back. On the map
  • The 1,001 gilded Kannon statuesLife-size gilded cypress statues, each with 21 pairs of arms, not a thousand. Each pair stands for 50 lives to be saved in the universe.In rows on both sides of the central statue, inside the main hall. On the map
  • The 28 guardian figuresServants of Kannon, among them Nijūhachi Bushū. The two famous statues are Fūjin, god of wind, and Raijin, god of thunder.Before the main statues, inside the hall. On the map
  • The long west verandaArchery contests were shot here every year for 255 years, during the Tōshiya tradition.At the back of the temple. On the map
  • Hōnen's stone monumentA plain stone set up by the priest Hōnen for the 13th death anniversary of Emperor Go-Shirakawa.In the courtyard of the temple. On the map

Know before you go

  • Cameras are not allowed inside the temple, but a photo book is offered after the guided tour.
  • Guided tours are offered to visitors year-round.

Legends and hidden details

  • Miyamoto Musashi is believed to have fought Yoshioka Denshichirō in a duel just outside the temple in 1604.
  • A samurai, Asaoka Heibei, is said to have shot 51 arrows in rapid succession.

Services and visiting hours

Visiting hours
Open daily, 08:00 to 16:30
January
Worshippers are touched with a sacred willow branch. It is meant to prevent headaches.

Interesting facts5

1/5
  1. 1,001 statues

    124 of the 1,001 statues survive from the original temple; the rest date from the 13th century.

    Sanjūsangen-dō - Wikipedia
  2. 33 also

    The number 33 also stands for the 33 forms that Kannon can take.

    Sanjūsangen-dō - Wikipedia
  3. 28 guardian

    The 28 guardian deities have origins in Sanskrit texts of Hinduism.

    Sanjūsangen-dō - Wikipedia

  4. Each archer shoots at a target 1 m wide, placed 60 m away.

    Sanjūsangen-dō - Wikipedia

  5. About one million visitors come to the temple each year.

    Sanjūsangen-dō - Wikipedia

Shorts

History

Taira no Kiyomori also gained the noble title Chancellor of the Realm, the first samurai to hold that title. The temple's official name, Rengeō-in, means 'hall of the Lotus King'. Three sculptor schools made 876 new Kannon statues over 16 years.

  1. 1164Taira no Kiyomori founds the temple for the cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa.
  2. 1249A fire destroys the other buildings of the complex; 124 original statues are rescued.
  3. 1251Emperor Go-Saga orders the main hall rebuilt.
  4. 1266The main hall is completed, and it still stands.
  5. 1606The first Tōshiya archery contest is held on the west veranda.

How to get there

  • TrainArrive in Kyoto by train.
  • BusTake bus 206 or bus 208.
  • 20 minOn footWalk about 20 minutes from the bus stop to the temple.

Sources: Sanjūsangen-dō - Wikipedia · Sanjūsangen-dō - Wikipedia · Sanjūsangen-dō - Wikipedia · checked 20 Oct 2026

Where
605-0941 657, Kyoto

Plan from here: A day out →

Questions and answers

What are the opening hours of Sanjusangendo Temple in Kyoto?

Sanjusangendo Temple is open every day from 08:00 to 16:30.

How do I get to Sanjusangendo Temple from the centre of Kyoto?

Take the train to Kyoto, then buses 206 and 208, then walk about 20 minutes to the temple.

How long does a visit to Sanjusangendo Temple take?

The data gives no visit length for Sanjusangendo Temple, so plan the time around the opening hours of 08:00 to 16:30.

Can I take photos inside Sanjusangendo Temple?

Cameras are not allowed inside the temple. A photo book is offered after the guided tour.

Does Sanjusangendo Temple offer guided tours?

Yes, guided tours are offered to visitors year-round.

How invme works
  1. See who's going — faces, not ticket counts.
  2. Write to someone who shares your interests — no swipes, no matches, no paywall.
  3. Pick the event or the place to meet at — and go together.
Join free

Reviews on invme

Sign in to review
Comment Share
Loading comments…