Adashino Nenbutsuji
京都府
8,000 stone Buddhas mark Heian Kyoto's burial ground, lit by candlelight each August
Founded
811
Type
Temple
Visited
Want to go
Access
About 5 min walk from Toriimoto bus stop (Kyoto Bus); about 25 min walk from JR Saga-Arashiyama Station
17 Saga Toriimoto Adashino-cho, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto
Open in Google Maps ↗
Overview
Adashino Nenbutsuji is a Jodo-sect temple founded in 811 by Kukai (Kobo Daishi) as Gochisan Nyoraiji, later converted into a nembutsu training hall by Honen. Adashino was once one of the three great burial grounds of Heian-kyo alongside Toribeno and Rendaino, and the sight of approximately 8,000 stone Buddhas and stone pagodas filling the precincts evokes a profound sense of impermanence. The "Sen…
Read more
Origins
The temple is said to have been founded in 811 by Kukai (Kobo Daishi) under the name Gochisan Nyoraiji. According to tradition, Kukai took pity on the countless remains that had been left exposed in the Adashino area and enshrined stone Buddhas there to conduct memorial rites. During the Heian perio…
Read more
Pilgrimage Courses
Kyoto Arashiyama Walk
0 / 6 spots
→
Divine Benefits
Purification
Rebirth in Pure Land
Cleansing impurity, spiritual purification, driving away evil. Rooted in misogi ablutions and goma fire rites.
Derived from the enshrined deity "阿弥陀如来"
人Related Figures— 2
人
H
Honen
Founder of Jodo Shu
›
Adashino Nenbutsuji is a Jodo-sect temple founded in 811 by Kukai (Kobo Daishi) as Gochisan Nyoraiji, later converted into a nembutsu training hall by Honen.
Kūkai
Founder of Shingon Buddhism / Kobo Daishi
Age 37 at founding
›
Adashino Nenbutsuji is a Jodo-sect temple founded in 811 by Kukai (Kobo Daishi) as Gochisan Nyoraiji, later converted into a nembutsu training hall by Honen.
Posts
0
＋
No posts yet
Goshuin
No goshuin posts yet
Visiting Information
Hours
Opens 9:00 AM; last admission 4:30 PM (3:30 PM in Jan, Feb, Dec); gate closes up to 30 min after last admission. Closed during storm warnings or snow/ice.
Admission
Adults ¥500; junior/senior high school students ¥400; elementary age and under free (with guardian). Groups of 30+: adults ¥400.
As of 2026-07-18. Subject to change.
Official Links
Also Worth Visiting
Giouji
Sagano hermitage where shirabyoshi dancer Gio from The Tale of the Heike retreated, carpeted by 30 varieties of moss
403m
→
大
Ohara Nenbutsuj
Quiet Jodo temple in the village of Ohara where Ryonin spread Yuzu-nembutsu in the late Heian period, preserving Pure Land faith amid Ohara's Buddhist chant tradition
0m
→
嵯
Sagano Enmei Jizo
A Jizo guardian at a Sagano crossroads, where the August Jizo-bon brings children and neighbors together in a warm local tradition
84m
→
證
Shoanin
Small Jodo temple founded in 1640 — the abbot's seasonal goshuin designs became a global social media sensation
462m
→
直
Jikishian
Sagano nunnery where Setouchi Jakucho gave Dharma talks, with 5,000 volumes of 'Omoide-gusa' prayer notebooks
1.3km
→
Takiguchi-dera
Sagano hermitage where Takiguchi Nyudo from The Tale of the Heike renounced the world for love, beside Gioji with Nitta Yoshisada's burial mound
447m
→
Nisonin
Tendai temple founded by Ennin around 834 by Emperor Saga's wish, famed for its maple-and-cherry 'Autumn Foliage Gallop' approach and Tanku's revival as a four-school Buddhist training ground
694m
→
Seiryoji
Jodo temple founded in 987 with a Three-Country-Transmitted Shakyamuni (National Treasure); silk organ models found inside the statue are among the world's oldest
917m
→
記
Suggest an update
Suggest fixes to the location, history, visiting hours, access, facilities, notes and more
›
Report incorrect info ›
Get the app for a better experience
Auto stamp via GPS, offline access, and favorites tracking
View in app
＋
Explore pilgrimage with the app
View in app
✕