Tenryu-ji Temple
A Zen temple from 1339 around a pond garden, Japan's first Special Place of Scenic Beauty.
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Tenryu-ji Temple
SaveA Zen temple from 1339 around a pond garden, Japan's first Special Place of Scenic Beauty.
The pond takes in the mountain across the river, and the north gate opens straight onto the bamboo grove.
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Ashikaga Takauji founded this Rinzai Zen temple in 1339 to mourn the late Emperor Go-Daigo. Its pond garden, laid out by the monk Muso Soseki some 700 years ago, was Japan's first Special Place of Scenic Beauty. Two upright boulders form a dragon-gate waterfall, the carp stone set beside it rather than below, halfway into becoming a dragon. Kayama Matazo painted the dragon on the Hatto ceiling in 1997. The north gate opens onto the bamboo grove, and the temple runs a vegetarian restaurant on the grounds.
| Indoor / outdoor | Indoor & outdoor | The garden (Sogenchi and Hyakkaen) is outdoors; the halls - Ohojo, Shoin, Tahoden and the Hatto - are indoors and ticketed separately | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | tenryuji.com |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stroller friendly | Not checked yet | ||||
| Diaper changing table | Not checked yet | ||||
| Nursing space | Not checked yet | ||||
| Family restroom | Not checked yet | ||||
| Diaper disposal bin | Not checked yet | ||||
| Kids' toilet seat & step stool | Not checked yet | ||||
| Elevator | Not checked yet | ||||
| English support | Not checked yet | ||||
| Outside food allowed | Not checked yet | ||||
| Lost-child supportExtra info — guide only | Not checked yet |
Worth a look before you go
First-hand
Arashiyama with Kids
She has done this walk on foot and by stroller many times; bikes with child seats, and the temple's shojin ryori meal.
thetokyochapter.com2026
Japanese · opens translatedGuide
Wheelchair sightseeing guide to central Arashiyama: barrier-free information
The approach is uneven; the halls have steps; you cannot exit toward the bamboo grove and must come back the same way.
ikiru-chikara.org2023
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
Arashiyama with kids: lunches and cafes with private rooms or tatami seating
Tatami seating for 28 at Pan to Espresso to, no bookings. Nursing room and changing table at Randen Arashiyama 3F.
ponponpontarou.com2026
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
Tenryu-ji in autumn: go at the early-morning opening to dodge the crowds
In autumn the garden gate alone opens at 7:30 (north gate 8:30). About ten people queued 15 min early on a weekday.
tabino-blog.hatenablog.com2025
Tenryu-ji Temple · Links & reads ▾
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Where to go next
- Arashiyama GyateiKyoto home-style set meals5 min walkA restaurant serving Kyoto home-style obanzai for about thirty years, with eighty seats.✓ easy
- Arashiyama Bamboo GroveBamboo pathStroller friendly5 min walkA 400-meter path walled on both sides by tended bamboo, from a shrine to a villa.✓ easy
- Kyoto Railway MuseumRailway museumStroller friendlyNursing spaceDiaper changing table7.2 kmOne of the few railway museums in Japan that runs a steam locomotive every day.✓ easy
- Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion)Temple gardenStroller friendlyFamily restroom5.7 kmA Zen temple, properly Rokuonji, whose garden keeps its 600-year-old form.✓ easy
- Kyoto Ramen KojiRamen restaurant streetStroller friendlyElevator8.4 kmTen ramen shops from Hokkaido to Fukuoka, on the 10th floor of Kyoto Station.✓ easy
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Basics
- Fee：Garden (Sogenchi & Hyakkaen): ¥500 high school and up, ¥300 elementary/junior high, free for pre-school children. The halls (Ohojo, Shoin, Tahoden) add ¥300; the Cloud Dragon in the Hatto is a separate ¥500. With a disability certificate, the holder and one carer get ¥100 off■
- Hours：Garden 8:30-17:00 (last entry 16:50). The halls close at 16:45 (last entry 16:30) and are shut on some event days. The Cloud Dragon hall opens 9:00-16:30 on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays only (daily in some spring and autumn periods). Early opening from 7:30 on 14-30 November 2026■
- Time needed：90 min
- Booking：The monthly zazen session at Yuunan (2nd Sunday, from 9:00) is free and needs no booking. The temple's own vegetarian restaurant Shigetsu takes reservations 2-3 days ahead■Official booking site ↗
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