Higashiyama Shichijo: Sanjusangendo Temple and Kyoto National Museum

This walking route begins at Chishaku-in Temple in Higashiyama Shichijo, goes westward down Shichijo Street to visit Sanjusangendo Temple and Kyoto National Museum, and then heads north to Toyokuni-jinja Shrine and Hoko-ji Temple, both associated with Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

History and Regional Appeal

Heading east from Shichijo-Ohashi Bridge over the Kamo River, Shichijo Street becomes a gentle uphill slope toward Mount Amidagamine, one of the Thirty-Six Peaks of Higashiyama. In this vicinity during the Heian period, Retired Emperor Go-Shirakawa established his palace, Hojujidono, within which Sanjusangendo Temple was originally founded. In 1586 (Tensho 14), Toyotomi Hideyoshi planned the construction of a Great Buddha at the foot of Higashiyama to rival the Great Buddha of Nara. The grounds of the Great Buddha Hall were vast, encompassing the current sites of Hoko-ji Temple, Toyokuni-jinja Shrine, and Kyoto National Museum. In 1601 (Keicho 6), Chishaku-in Temple was revived on temple land in Higashiyama donated by Tokugawa Ieyasu. From the Heian to the Momoyama and Edo periods, and continuing to the Meiji-era museum, this is an area where overlapping eras can be traced across a short distance.

Key Highlights

• ​Chishaku-in Temple​​: The head temple of the Chisan School of Shingon Buddhism. In the treasure hall, visitors can view the National Treasure screen paintings "Maple Tree" and "Cherry Blossoms" painted by Hasegawa Tohaku and his son Kyuzo. In the nationally designated Place of Scenic Beauty garden facing the Oshoin Hall, azaleas and satsuki azaleas bloom all at once from May to June.
• ​Sanjusangendo Temple​​: Officially a Tendai sect temple named Rengeo-in Temple, its expansive 120-meter-long main hall running north to south is a National Treasure. Inside the hall, flanking the seated principal image of Thousand-Armed Kannon completed by the master sculptor Tankei, 1,000 life-sized standing statues of Thousand-Armed Kannon are arranged in neat rows; all one thousand statues are designated as National Treasures.
• ​Kyoto National Museum​​: Opened in 1897 (Meiji 30) as the "Imperial Kyoto Museum." It features the brick Meiji Kotokan Hall designed by Katayama Tokuma alongside the Heisei Chishinkan Wing designed by Taniguchi Yoshio. Rodin's "The Thinker" and the stone wall of Hoko-ji Temple can also be seen in the gardens.
• ​Toyokuni-jinja Shrine​​: A shrine dedicated to Toyotomi Hideyoshi, revived in 1880 (Meiji 13) when its shrine buildings were constructed on the former site of the Great Buddha Hall of Hoko-ji Temple. Its Karamon gate, designated as a National Treasure and said to be a surviving structure from Fushimi Castle, can be viewed freely on the grounds at any time.
• ​Hoko-ji Temple​​: A Tendai sect temple founded by Hideyoshi to manage the Great Buddha Hall. Its temple bell is an Important Cultural Property, and the inscription "Kokka Anko" on it is said to have triggered the Siege of Osaka (Winter Campaign); hanging in a bell tower built in the Meiji era, it can be viewed up close by anyone.

Recommended Route and Duration

The recommended duration is about 5 hours. The tour starts at Chishaku-in Temple, about a 3-minute walk from the Higashiyama Shichijo city bus stop. Walking approximately 460 meters west along Shichijo Street brings you to Sanjusangendo Temple, with Kyoto National Museum located just across the street. From the museum, it is about 180 meters north to Toyokuni-jinja Shrine, and about 80 meters further north to Hoko-ji Temple. For the return journey, it takes about a 10-minute walk from Hoko-ji Temple to Keihan Railway's Shichijo Station. At the museum, regular permanent collection galleries are closed during special exhibition periods. From May to June, the azaleas and satsuki azaleas in the garden of Chishaku-in Temple reach their peak viewing season.

Experience Summary

The hall of one thousand Kannon statues built at the palace of Retired Emperor Go-Shirakawa, the traces of Hideyoshi's Great Buddha Hall, the screen paintings of the temple revived through Ieyasu's donation, and the Meiji-era museum. Please take a walk and savor the traces of overlapping eras within this compact stretch of Shichijo Street.