Apr 16, 2014 - 1 min read

Kyoto Shorenin Temple

Beautiful gardens in the heart of Kyoto

By Martijn Beckers

Community writer

The interior is minimalistic, but with beautifully ornate sliding doors

An age-old tree guards the temple entrance.

The impressive garden, still in autumn's colors, even in December

Small pathways let you explore the garden bit by bit

"Please feel free to ring"..well, don't mind if I do.

View of the main hall from the bell tower.

Winter isn't really the time of year you are thinking of visiting gardens. Yet, in December 2011, my friend and I stumbled upon the Shorenin Temple in Kyoto's Higashiyama district. And by that, I literally mean "stumbled", because after numerous temple visits that day and the entrance fee, we almost walked past it. Safe to say I'm glad we decided on visiting it.

The temple has some impressive halls, but the real must-see is the garden. As pictures tell more than a thousand words, I think it's better to let them speak for themselves. Shorenin has a long history that is closely tied to the imperial family; even some head priests were of imperial blood and this relationship is proudly referred to when visiting the halls. Access is easy: we walked there from the Kawaramachi station (Kyoto's main station on the Hankyu line), but the Higashiyama station is even closer.