Shōrenin Temple — Attraction in Kyoto

(Trip was made back then on 1 Dec 2019, 2 years before the Covid-19 Pandemic hit)

Shorenin Temple is a Tendai sect of Japanese Buddhism and is one of 5 monzeki(Japanese Buddhist priests of imperial lineage) temples in Kyoto city.

It was first constructed as a residence for Emperor Toba’s son to study Buddhism under Enryakuji-Jo’s head priest. The son eventually became the head priest of the temple, starting the tradition of a member of the imperial family serving as abbot of Shoren-in.

Seeing how overcrowded Kyoto is with tourists, I’’m surprised and thankful that Shorenin has been able to stay relatively hidden. Otherwise, it would have ruined the peace and serenity of the place.

The highlight for me was the Kadochan drawing room, with it’s own unique features, overlooks a beautiful garden where visitors could admire while sitting on tatami mats. The garden itself is quite big and there’s even a bamboo forest simulating the Arashiyama feeling.

Shorenin temple may be one of the lesser known attractions in Kyoto, but during autumn season, it’s known for it’s night illumination event where Shinden garden is illuminated with blue light, transforming it into a otherworldly mystical realm. Numerous blue light orbs glow and dim against the darkness, portraying an almost magical feeling.

It was definitely one of the most memorable highlights during our stay in Kyoto 2 years ago and would love to revisit the next...

We are not allowed to enter inside because we were wearing the Kimono (Japanese style costume). We firstly entered in front of the ticket office and say hello politely ( in Japanese), then we asked the guy (from the ticket window) politely for buying ticket to go visit inside. But he shakes his head and said: Kimono are not allowed to go inside. And we accepted and left sadly even we just walked so far to this place during the 35 degree weather outside, even we found no instructions considering this kind of “interdiction” on their officials website. But we also said “ thank you” then we left. Then we are told (from a Japanese friend) that it is weird we can not be allowed to go inside, because once another friend did wear the Kimono to visit this place. Then we go back to the place where we rent the Kimono costume, the shop keepers show us the pictures of their guest also wearing the Kimono in this place... Now we would say: what the ? Okay it doesn’t matter, but just wanna tell the foreigners tourists/visitors, if you are wearing Kimono, don’t waste time to walk to...

Shōren-in Temple was just a minute’s walk from our hotel, and it ended up being one of our favorite places in Kyoto. It’s got this quiet, peaceful atmosphere that really stays with you. The temple has a bit of history too — it used to be a residence for high-ranking monks and was even used by the imperial family at one point, which adds to the sense of calm and dignity around the place.

The garden was absolutely stunning, especially in the rain — everything felt more still and alive at the same time. We just sat on the tatami mats for a while, watching the garden and listening to the rain, and it honestly felt like time slowed down. Out of all the temples and shrines we visited, this was the one the whole family liked the most. It wasn’t crowded at all, which made it feel even more special.

There’s also a little visitors book you can write in while sitting by the garden — such a lovely touch. It felt personal and grounding. If you're looking for a peaceful, reflective spot in Kyoto, this one is really...