Zojoji Temple

Before you go

• The main gate is under repair from January 2025 to 2032 (planned; the temple's site says June 2032), and in January 2026 it was still behind a construction enclosure. One mother with two boys said her sons, who had looked forward to going through the gate, were disappointed that it was closed for repairs (when they visited is not stated). Since September 2025 a narrow walkway has run under the gate, but its old paving is worn and uneven, with two stone steps before the steel ramp plate.
• The path from the gate to the main hall climbs 43 steps in two flights (18 and 25; the wide stone steps in front of the Daiden have a handrail), and the grounds slope up toward the hall, so plan your stroller route before you go. The temple's FAQ says the main hall has an elevator, but two guides differ on where the elevators let you off, so ask the staff for the step-free route. Accessible Japan, a travel guide for visitors with access needs, suggests entering by the small street to the right of the main gate, since the gate itself has no step-free way in during the work.
• Entering the grounds and the Daiden is free; the Daiden is open 6:00 to 17:30 and the Ankokuden (the hall for blessings and goshuin temple stamps) 9:00 to 17:00. The basement treasure hall costs 700 yen for adults and 300 yen for junior and senior high students, and is free for elementary students and younger. It is open 11:00 to 15:00 on weekdays and 10:00 to 16:00 on weekends and holidays, and closed Tuesdays (the temple's pages say it opens if Tuesday is a holiday) and December 22 to 31, 2026. Shichi-go-san blessings (a traditional ritual for young children) are held at the Ankokuden by reservation, with sessions at 10:00, 12:00 and 15:00 in October and November and only at 12:00 from January 17 to September 30; the offering fee is 10,000 yen.
• The Tokugawa shoguns' mausoleum costs 500 yen on the temple's 2025 exhibition page (1,000 yen with the treasure hall), is not wheelchair accessible because stone steps lead to its gate, and plans to pause visits for about two weeks sometime in 2026 while the ticket office is rebuilt, with dates to be announced. One visitor in 2025 paid 1,000 yen to enter, so check at the ticket office.
• No nursing room is listed; a 2020 visitor nursed with a cover in the lobby, a dimly lit waiting-room-like area. Reviews from 2018 and 2020 say the first-floor restrooms have changing tables in both the men's and women's rooms; the reviews mention a diaper bin on the women's side, though the same site's facility list shows none, so bring a bag for used diapers. A 2019 review says the restroom entrance is beside the stairs people climb to pray.
• There is no parking for general visitors, so come by public transport: Onarimon or Shibakoen Station (Toei Mita Line) is a 3-minute walk, Daimon Station 5 minutes and JR Hamamatsucho Station 10. The road from the subway stations, about 300 to 400 m, has no roof, and Onarimon Station's elevators are at exits A6 and A3b; a 2025 parent blog says the A6 exit elevator has a ramp that suits strollers.
• The temple says the rows of small jizo statues are there to wish for children's safe growth and health, while Tokyo's tourism site says they represent unborn children and that parents leave clothes and small toys, so keep voices low there.