Higashi Honganji

東本願寺 Higashi Honganji; Eastern Temple of the Original Vow

Higashi Honganji was established in 1602 by the Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu when he split the Shin sect in two (Nishi Honganji being the other) in order to diminish its power. Today it is the headquarters of the Ōtani branch of Jōdo Shin-shū. The Founder’s Hall (Goei-dō) is said to be the second-largest wooden structure in Japan. With a capacity for 5,000 people, it's majestic. Check out the massive coil of hair rope, donated by a group of female devotees and used to haul the massive timbers for the reconstruction of the temple in the 1880s.

• free

Address

Karasuma Shichi-jō Agaru, Shimogyō-ku, Kyoto 600-8505

Getting there

Karasuma Shichijō bus stop or Gojō Station via Karasuma subway. Accessible also from Kyoto Station

Hours

Mar–Oct 05:50-17:30; Nov–Feb 06:20-16:30

Price

Free

Website

higashihonganji.or.jp (opens in a new tab)