Tofuku-ji Temple
Open by month
Open in January. No seasonal closure recorded. New Year (Dec 29 – Jan 3): open.
Open in February. No seasonal closure recorded.
Open in March. No seasonal closure recorded.
Open in April. No seasonal closure recorded.
Open in May. No seasonal closure recorded.
Open in June. No seasonal closure recorded.
Open in July. No seasonal closure recorded.
Open in August. No seasonal closure recorded.
Open in September. No seasonal closure recorded.
Open in October. No seasonal closure recorded.
Open in November — at its best. Autumn leaves seen from Tsutenkyo bridge, mid-November to early December.
Open in December. No seasonal closure recorded. New Year (Dec 29 – Jan 3): open.
Checked against the official site on 2026-10-15.
Head temple of the Tofuku-ji school of Rinzai Zen, completed in 1255. The Tsutenkyo bridge crosses a valley of maples famous for autumn colour, and Shigemori Mirei’s 1939 gardens around the abbot’s hall include bold checkerboard designs.
National Treasure (Sanmon gate); Place of Scenic Beauty (Hojo gardens)
Nearby
- Fushimi Inari Taisha ≈ 15 min by car
- Sanjusangendo ≈ 15 min by car
- Kyoto Tower ≈ 15 min by car
- Kiyomizu-dera Temple ≈ 20 min by car
- To-ji Temple ≈ 20 min by car
Travel times are rough estimates by car.
- Best time
- November — Autumn leaves seen from Tsutenkyo bridge, mid-November to early December
- Getting there
- About 10 min walk from Tofukuji Sta. (JR Nara Line / Keihan)
- Fee
- Tsutenkyo & Kaisando ¥600; Hojo garden ¥500 (¥600 from Nov 1, 2026); autumn Nov 14–Dec 6: Tsutenkyo ¥1,000, garden ¥600
- Good to know
- 9:00–16:00 (Dec 7–Mar 31 to 15:30; Tsutenkyo from 8:30 in the autumn period). Grounds open daily and free. Very crowded in autumn; photos may be restricted on the bridges
- Time needed
- 1 h
Checked against the official Japanese website on 2026-10-15. Report outdated info