Zazen Map Japan

Zazen Map Japan · Kyoto

Zazen in Kyoto

Kyoto’s Zen temples hold zazen sittings that anyone may join. Most are early in the morning, most are free or ask only for a donation, and at several of the best-known temples — Nanzen-ji, Kennin-ji, Tenryū-ji — you do not need to book at all.

These are not tourist programmes. They are the regular sittings that people in Kyoto go to, held in Japanese, and you are welcome at them. This page lists every one we have on record for the city: 47 temples, 9 of which take you without a booking and 15 of which ask no fixed fee.

  • 47temples listed
  • 9take you without booking
  • 15free or by donation
  • 3mention English
Open the map on Kyoto

If you would rather have everything explained in English, a few Kyoto temples run paid programmes for visitors and those are listed here too. But paying is not the only way in.

Things that are specific to Kyoto

  • Myōshin-ji and Daitoku-ji are walled compounds, not single temples. Each contains dozens of sub-temples (, tatchū) behind their own gates. The sittings below are held at the named sub-temple — Shunkō-in, Ryōsen-an, Daisen-in and so on — so head for that gate, not the main one. Give yourself ten minutes inside the walls to find it.
  • The fee shown is for the sitting, not for sightseeing. Several temples that charge admission during the day ask nothing for the morning zazen. If you want to see the garden afterwards, that is usually a separate ticket.
  • A 6:00 am start means working out the journey the night before. Many of these begin at 6:00 or 6:30. Check the first bus or train on your route before you go to bed, and have a fallback — several are walkable from Keihan or the Karasuma subway line if the buses do not suit.
  • The hall is unheated. Zen halls are open to the outside air, and a winter morning in Kyoto is cold on a wooden floor. Wear more than you think you need, and bring thick socks.
  • August is the gap. A number of Kyoto temples suspend their monthly sitting in August, and some also stop in the depth of winter. Where we know about it, it is written into each entry below.

Sittings you can just turn up to

No booking, no phone call. Arrive ten to fifteen minutes before the start time — many halls close the door once sitting has begun.

Daitoku-ji Ryōsen-an

Just turn upFreeEnglish available

When
Every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, from 9:00 am
Cost
Free
Booking
Not required — just turn up
School
Rinzai Zen
Address
Phone
The temple’s own notes (Japanese)

Show on the map

Tenryū-ji

Just turn upFree

When
2nd Sunday of the month, 9:00–10:00 am (not in February, July and August)
Cost
Free
Booking
Not required — just turn up
School
Rinzai Zen
Address
Phone
The temple’s own notes (Japanese)

Show on the map Temple website

Hōgon-in

Just turn upFree

When
3rd Sunday of the month, 5:30–8:00 pm (not in August and November)
Cost
Free
Booking
Not required — just turn up
School
Rinzai Zen
Address
Phone
The temple’s own notes (Japanese)

Show on the map Temple website

Kennin-ji

Just turn upFree

When
2nd Sunday of the month, 7:30–9:30 am (not in August)
Cost
Free
Booking
Not required — just turn up
School
Rinzai Zen
Address
Phone
The temple’s own notes (Japanese)

Show on the map Temple website

Mugekō-in

Just turn upFreeBeginners welcome

When
Every Saturday, 6:00–7:00 pm
Cost
Free
Booking
Not required — just turn up
School
Rinzai Zen
Address
Phone
The temple’s own notes (Japanese)

Show on the map

Shōkoku-ji

Just turn upDonation

When
2nd and 4th Sunday of the month, 9:00–11:00 am
Cost
Donation — give what you think is right
Booking
Not required — just turn up
School
Rinzai Zen
Address
Phone
The temple’s own notes (Japanese)

Show on the map Temple website

Myōshin-ji

Just turn up

When
The 8th of each month, 6:00–7:30 am
Cost
¥500
Booking
Not required — just turn up
School
Rinzai Zen
Address
Phone
The temple’s own notes (Japanese)

Show on the map Temple website

Genkō-an

Just turn up

When
1st Sunday of the month, 7:00–8:30 am (not in January, August and December)
Cost
Not stated — ask when you contact them
Booking
Not required — just turn up
School
Sōtō Zen
Address
Phone

Show on the map Temple website

Just turn upChair seating

When
1st Saturday of the month, 8:30–10:00 am (not in August)
Cost
¥500
Booking
Not required — just turn up
School
Rinzai Zen
Address
Phone
The temple’s own notes (Japanese)

Show on the map Temple website

Sittings to book or check first

These ask for contact in advance, or do not say either way. A short email in Japanese works better than a phone call — there is a template you can copy on the main English page.

Nanzen-ji

Free

When
2nd and 4th Sunday of the month, from 6:00 am (April to November, except August)
2nd and 4th Sunday of the month, from 6:30 am (February and March)
Cost
Free
Booking
Not stated — best to ask
School
Rinzai Zen
Address
Phone
The temple’s own notes (Japanese)

Show on the map Temple website

Tōfuku-ji

Free

When
Confirmed dates: Sun 27 Sep 2026, from 06:30
Sun 11 Oct 2026, from 06:30
Sun 25 Oct 2026, from 06:30
Cost
Free
Booking
Not stated — best to ask
School
Rinzai Zen
Address
Phone
The temple’s own notes (Japanese)

Show on the map Temple website

Seiken-ji

Donation

When
Every day, from 6:00 am
Cost
Donation — give what you think is right
Booking
Not stated — best to ask
School
Rinzai Zen
Address

Show on the map Temple website

Yōmei-in

Donation

When
1st Sunday of the month, from 10:00 am (not in August)
Cost
Donation — give what you think is right
Booking
Not stated — best to ask
School
Rinzai Zen
Address
Phone
The temple’s own notes (Japanese)

Show on the map Temple website

Hōzō-ji

Donation

When
1st Saturday of the month, from 8:00 am
Cost
Donation — give what you think is right
Booking
Not stated — best to ask
School
Ōbaku Zen
Address
Phone
The temple’s own notes (Japanese)

Show on the map Temple website

Kōshō-ji

Donation

When
Every day, 6:00–7:00 am
Cost
Donation — give what you think is right
Booking
Not stated — best to ask
School
Rinzai Zen
Address
Phone
The temple’s own notes (Japanese)

Show on the map Temple website

Shisen-dō

Free

When
1st and 3rd Sunday of the month, 6:00–8:00 am (not in January and December)
Cost
Free
Booking
Book or contact them first
School
Sōtō Zen
Address
Phone
The temple’s own notes (Japanese)

Show on the map Temple website

Ginkaku-ji

Free

When
3rd Monday of the month, from 6:30 pm (April to November, except August)
3rd Monday of the month, from 6:00 pm (December to March)
Cost
Free
Booking
Book or contact them first
School
Rinzai Zen
Address
Phone
The temple’s own notes (Japanese)

Show on the map Temple website

When
3rd Sunday of the month, from 9:00 am (not in August)
Cost
¥2,000
Booking
Not stated — best to ask
School
Ōbaku Zen
Address
Phone
The temple’s own notes (Japanese)

Show on the map

Kōun-ji

When
Every Saturday, 8:00–9:00 pm
2nd and 4th Sunday of the month, 8:30 am–2:30 pm
Cost
Free, with a charge in some cases
Booking
Required for some sessions only
School
Rinzai Zen
Address
Phone
The temple’s own notes (Japanese)

Show on the map Temple website

When
Every Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 6:00–8:30 pm
2nd and 4th Sunday of the month, from 9:00 am
The 18th of each month, from 9:00 am
Cost
¥1,000–¥2,500
Booking
Not stated — best to ask
School
Rinzai Zen
Address
Phone
The temple’s own notes (Japanese)

Show on the map Temple website

Enkō-ji

When
Every Sunday, 6:00–8:00 am
Cost
Free, with a charge in some cases
Booking
Book or contact them first
School
Rinzai Zen
Address
Phone
The temple’s own notes (Japanese)

Show on the map Temple website

Daisen-in

When
Every Saturday and Sunday, 5:00–6:00 am (not in January, February and December)
Every Saturday and Sunday, 4:30–5:30 am (December to February)
The 24th of each month, 5:00–6:00 am (not in January, February and December)
The 24th of each month, 4:30–5:30 am (December to February)
Cost
More than one charge applies — see the Japanese below
Booking
Not stated — best to ask
School
Rinzai Zen
Address
Phone
The temple’s own notes (Japanese)

Show on the map Temple website

Daitoku-ji Daiji-in

Chair seatingBeginners welcome

When
Every Sunday
Cost
There is a charge, amount not stated
Booking
Book or contact them first
School
Rinzai Zen
Address
Phone
The temple’s own notes (Japanese)

Show on the map Temple website

When
3rd Sunday of the month, 8:00–10:00 am
Cost
Not stated — ask when you contact them
Booking
Book or contact them first
School
Sōtō Zen
Address
Phone

Show on the map

Jōjū-ji

When
2nd Saturday of the month, 3:00–5:00 pm
2nd Sunday of the month, 3:00–5:00 pm
Cost
¥1,000–¥2,000
Booking
Not stated — best to ask
School
Ōbaku Zen
Address
Phone
The temple’s own notes (Japanese)

Show on the map Temple website

Chōkei-in

When
Every Friday, 6:30–8:00 pm
Cost
¥500
Booking
Not stated — best to ask
School
Rinzai Zen
Address
The temple’s own notes (Japanese)

Show on the map Temple website

Temples that hold zazen but publish no fixed schedule

These run sittings by arrangement, or on dates announced only on their own site. Contact them directly if one is near where you are staying.

Not running at the moment

These temples have suspended their public sitting. We keep them listed because they may start again, but do not plan around them.

Yakushi-zenji

Currently suspended

When
Not running at the moment. The temple has suspended this sitting.
Cost
¥2,000–¥3,000
Booking
Book or contact them first
Address
The temple’s own notes (Japanese)

Show on the map Temple website

Not zazen — other temple meditation in Kyoto

These temples belong to other schools of Japanese Buddhism and what they teach is not zazen. Several run ajikan (), a Shingon practice built around visualising a single written character. It is sitting meditation, but it is a different tradition with a different method. They are listed here because people looking for one often want to know about the other.

Chair seating

When
1st Monday of the month, from 10:00 am (not in May, August and November)
2nd Monday of the month, from 10:00 am (May and November)
Cost
¥500
Booking
Book or contact them first
School
Shingon — not a Zen school; what is practised here is not zazen
Address
Phone
The temple’s own notes (Japanese)

Show on the map Temple website

When
No fixed schedule published.
Cost
¥1,000
Booking
Book or contact them first
School
Shingon — not a Zen school; what is practised here is not zazen
Address
Phone
The temple’s own notes (Japanese)

Show on the map Temple website

Elsewhere in Kyoto Prefecture

Outside the city itself, still within reach on a local train.

Before you go

  • Wear something you can fold your legs in. Loose trousers. You will be in socks or bare feet.
  • Bring cash. Temples rarely take cards, and a donation box takes nothing else.
  • Say it is your first time. (hajimete desu) is the single most useful thing you can say on arrival.
  • You may sit on a chair. Accepted at most temples and still zazen. (isu de sanka dekimasu ka).

The main English page has the rest — what happens during a sitting, what the keisaku stick is, the Japanese words you will see on the map, and an email template for booking when you have no Japanese.

Questions people ask

Can I do zazen in Kyoto without booking?

Yes. 9 of the temples on this page let you take part without booking — you simply arrive before the start time. Kennin-ji, Tenryū-ji, Shōkoku-ji and Myōshin-ji are among them. Arriving ten to fifteen minutes early is expected; many halls will not admit you once the sitting has started.

Is zazen in Kyoto free?

Often, yes. 15 of the sittings listed here ask no fixed fee. Some are free outright, and others are shinō (志納) — a donation of whatever you think is right, commonly ¥500 to ¥1,000, put in a box rather than handed over. Where a temple sets a price it is shown in the entry. Bring cash; temples rarely take cards.

Do any Kyoto temples teach zazen in English?

A few. Daitoku-ji Ryōsen-an holds sittings three mornings a week with English available and a long history of foreign participants. Shunkō-in at Myōshin-ji runs paid programmes in English. Taizō-in takes booked groups, including visitors from abroad. The rest are in Japanese, which is less of an obstacle than it sounds — zazen is mostly silent and the instructions are physical.

What time do Kyoto zazen sessions start?

Most are early morning, between 6:00 and 9:00. A smaller number run in the evening, roughly 18:00 to 20:00, which is easier if you are sightseeing during the day. Both are listed above with their exact times.

Do I have to pay temple admission as well?

Not usually for the sitting itself. Morning zazen generally happens before the temple opens to sightseers, and you are let in for that purpose. Looking around the grounds or the garden afterwards normally means buying an admission ticket like anyone else.

Schedules change, and temples cancel for funerals, memorial services and retreats without telling anyone outside the parish. For a sitting you are making a special journey for, phone or email first — there is a ready-made Japanese message on the main English page you can copy.

Listings on this page were generated from our database on 23 September 2026. They are compiled from public sources and from corrections sent in by temples and visitors. The temple always has the last word.