Kanei-ji Temple
Quick Facts
- Location
- Japan, Tokyo
- Category
- Sightseeing
- Duration
- 1 hour
- Opening Hours
- Daily 09:00-17:00 · Konpon Chudo grounds 9:00-17:00, open daily; hours may vary for rites; Tokugawa mausolea normally closed
- Ticket Price
- Free Admission: Grounds free · Nearby Ueno Toshogu hall JPY 500; goshuin JPY 300; Tokugawa mausolea open only on set dates by arrangement
- Address
- 1-14-11 Uenosakuragi, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-0002, Japan (Konpon Chudo)
- Coordinates
- 35.7205, 139.7620
Introduction
Formally Toeizan Kanei-ji, this Tendai temple was founded in 1625 by Tenkai, advisor to Tokugawa Ieyasu, and ranked with Enryaku-ji on Mt Hiei as the sect's Kanto headquarters. Tenkai mapped Ueno Hill onto Hiei and Shinobazu Pond onto Lake Biwa to make Edo 'a Kyoto of the east', even modelling Kiyomizu Kannon-do on Kyoto's Kiyomizu-dera. It became the Tokugawa shoguns' funerary temple: six of the thirteen shoguns are buried here. In the 1868 Battle of Ueno the Shogitai made their last stand and most of the complex burned; today's Konpon Chudo was moved from Kawagoe's Kita-in in 1879. Only a few halls survive in a quiet residential corner, yet the site is essential to reading the end of the shogunate.
✨ Highlights
🛈 Practical Info
Opening Hours
| Monday | 09:00-17:00 |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | 09:00-17:00 |
| Wednesday | 09:00-17:00 |
| Thursday | 09:00-17:00 |
| Friday | 09:00-17:00 |
| Saturday | 09:00-17:00 |
| Sunday | 09:00-17:00 |
Konpon Chudo grounds 9:00-17:00, open daily; hours may vary for rites; Tokugawa mausolea normally closed
Ticket Information
| Free Admission | Grounds free |
|---|
Nearby Ueno Toshogu hall JPY 500; goshuin JPY 300; Tokugawa mausolea open only on set dates by arrangement
Transportation
8 min from JR Uguisudani north exit, 12 min from Ueno Park exit or Chiyoda Nezu
At the park's northeast edge; walk through Ueno Park via Shinobazu Pond
FAQ
What are the opening hours of Kanei-ji Temple?
Monday: 09:00-17:00; Tuesday: 09:00-17:00; Wednesday: 09:00-17:00; Thursday: 09:00-17:00; Friday: 09:00-17:00; Saturday: 09:00-17:00; Sunday: 09:00-17:00; Konpon Chudo grounds 9:00-17:00, open daily; hours may vary for rites; Tokugawa mausolea normally closed
How much is the admission for Kanei-ji Temple?
Free Admission: Grounds free; Nearby Ueno Toshogu hall JPY 500; goshuin JPY 300; Tokugawa mausolea open only on set dates by arrangement
How long should I spend at Kanei-ji Temple?
A typical visit takes 1 hour.
How do I get to Kanei-ji Temple?
Subway: 8 min from JR Uguisudani north exit, 12 min from Ueno Park exit or Chiyoda Nezu
