Best Cherry Blossom Nighttime Illuminations in Kyoto
Evening illuminations during sakura season are popular at temples, castles, and gardens in Kyoto, Japan. This list shares the best nighttime cherry blossom spots throughout the city, with 2024 dates & details, plus our recommended 1-night itinerary if you only have a single night to see all of the special lights.
We’ve experienced sakura season in Japan many times, including several month-long stays in Kyoto. During those extended visits, we’ve made a concerted effort to attend nighttime illuminations. Over the past decade, we’ve attended at least two-dozen different evening openings at temples in the spring and fall, logging over 40 visits total when counting repeats.
The first thing you need to know is that the nighttime illumination schedule changes every single year and seasonally. While there are some stalwarts that offer something for both sakura and fall colors year-in and year-out (like Kiyomizudera and Kodaiji Temples), others are only open for one of the two seasons, and sporadically.
In other words, don’t consult last year’s fall colors lineup for the 2024 cherry blossom nighttime illuminations, or even last year’s sakura season schedule. There will be some overlap, but it’ll still be incomplete and inaccurate.
The other thing to know is that even the 2024 cherry blossom season nighttime illumination schedules published online (including this list!) will be incomplete. Invariably, there are lesser-known temples and gardens that will do special evening openings that won’t be listed anywhere. Your best bet for finding those is simply the fliers posted around the city or visiting one of the official tourist centers upon arrival.
The final thing we’ll note is that nighttime vs. daytime openings differ. See our Japan Cherry Blossom Forecast for 2024 & Kyoto Sakura Season Viewing Guide for daytime (and some evening) recommendations. That also includes all-day itineraries and more. Suffice to say, much more is open during the regular operating day–evening illuminations are only a subset of that.
Moreover, all nighttime illuminations are separately ticketed. If you’re thinking about being clever and going right at normal closing to double-dip, think again. You’ll have to pay twice. (For whatever it’s worth, we think that every single nighttime illumination on this list is better than the same spot during the day.)
With that out of the way, let’s dig into the list…
Shoren-in Temple – This temple offers a beautiful nighttime illumination with the ground bathed in LED lights and the temple’s main features lit in brilliant lighting. The cherry blossoms here are not the highlight.
One thing to note is that Shoren-in Temple has suspended nighttime illuminations for the last few years, and it appears that nothing is planned for the 2024 sakura season (based on its official website, they’re planned to resume for fall colors 2024). However, Shoren-in just opened a nighttime illumination during the Hanatoro season, so maybe?
The good news is that you’ll walk past Shoren-in Temple regardless, as we’d recommend starting the Kyoto 1-night cherry blossom itinerary by taking the Tozai subway line to Higashiyama Station and walking to Southern Higashiyama from there. You’ll pass Shoren-in Temple on this route no matter what.
Chion-in Temple – The very next temple you’ll pass is Shoren-in Temple’s much larger next-door neighbor, Chion-in Temple. This is a great stop during sakura season, but there are a couple of things to note. The first is that you can see its most striking feature–the main gate–for free from the street (you cannot miss it). The second is that there are a lot of steps up to Chion-in Temple’s main level (a common theme of this itinerary).
There are about 250 sakura trees planted at the the grounds of Chion-in Temple. During the nighttime illumination for sakura season, Yūzen-en garden is also open, as are the Sanmon Main Gate, Onna-zaka, Mieidō, Amidadō, Daishōrō. We love visiting Chion-in Temple during the illuminations, and highly recommend it. As compared to subsequent stops, it is typically far less crowded and more peaceful.
Chion-in Temple is open for nighttime illuminations from March 23 until April 3, 2024. It opens nightly from 5:45 pm until 9:30 pm, with last entry at 9 pm. Admission is ¥800 for adults, and ¥400 for children.
Maruyama Park – Immediately to the south of Chion-in Temple is Maruyama Park, which places it prominently between the heart of Gion and the Higashiyama District. Maruyama Park would draw a lot of people by default during cherry blossom season, even if it had zero cherry trees. Thanks to its many trees and ample hanami place, it’s the most popular spot once the sun goes down with live music, street vendors, and party-goers. (Many of these party-goers will still be here, passed out for the following morning’s sunrise.)
Maruyama Park is always a lovely space, and the added vibrance in spring is quite nice. However, what separates Maruyama Park from any other public parks in the city is the huge weeping tree at the park’s heart that is illuminated at night. This tree is Kyoto’s most well-known cherry tree, and that’s for good reason. It’s spectacular.
While you’re in the area, consider checking out Yasaka Shrine. It’s not a standalone sakura season destination, but it’s right there and also illuminated at night. Well worth seeing.
Kodaiji Temple – Another temple that is recommended for its nighttime illumination. Kodai-ji runs the most nighttime illuminations of any temple in Kyoto, and that’s in large part because the temple’s night offerings are not season-dependent.
Instead, Kodai-ji Temple has a projection mapping show, bamboo forest with night lighting, and its buildings are open and illuminated. There are cherry trees too, but those almost feel like an afterthought. With that said, the sakura in Hashin-tei Garden and in front of the Hojo (main building) are picturesque when illuminated. The Karesansui (dry landscape garden) is also lovely.
Special nighttime entrance period: March 15 to May 6, 2024; from 5:00 p.m. to 9:30p.m. and costs 600 yen. In our full post about Kodai-ji Temple, you can see photos from the fall illumination–it’s not that much different from the sakura season illumination.
Kiyomizudera Temple – This is one of our favorite temples in all of Kyoto and, by extension, all of Japan. However, we’re also not alone in that sentiment, and Kiyomizudera is easily the most popular nighttime illumination in all of Kyoto. Maybe in all of Japan? (Probably not, Himeji and other castles are big draws–and have more space for absorbing crowds.)
Without question, you will encounter more people at Kiyomizudera Temple during the cherry blossom illumination than all of the other previous entries on this list combined. With that said, it’s worth dealing with the massive crowds. Unlike many spots on this list, Kiyomizudera actually has a ton of cherry trees and looks absolutely stunning for sakura. It’s not just capitalizing on seasonal crowds to open for a nighttime illumination–Kiyomizudera begs to be seen during sakura season.
This is also why our itinerary is arranged this way, with Kiyomizudera as the last stop. In a perfect world, you’d be arriving here between 8:30 and 9 pm, just making the cut-off before the temple closes to new entries. (Alternatively, you can go when the temple first opens for the night, but we’ve found that to be busier–just don’t go in the middle!)
Kiyomizudera Temple is open for the sakura season nighttime illumination until 9:30 p.m. (9:00 p.m. last entry) from March 23 to 31, 2024. Read our full post on the Cherry Blossom Night Illumination at Kiyomizudera Temple.
To-ji Temple – During sakura season, there are few scenes in Kyoto that are more iconic than the cherry blossom-lined pathway leading to Toji’s towering pagoda. Note that Toji Temple is south of Kyoto Station, so you’ll almost certainly need to visit on a different night than the stops in Higashiyama. It is possible to pair Toji and Nijo Castle pretty easily, though.
For the evening illumination, general admission charge includes viewing the Kondo and Kodo halls and the Five-Storied Pagoda from outside only and the garden walk by the cherry blossom in evening illumination.
Toji Temple is open for cherry blossom nighttime illuminations from March 22 to April 12, 2024. Hours are from 6:30 pm until 9:30 pm. Admission is 500 yen for adults, and 300-400 for students. (This is according to the official website–I could swear it was 1,000 yen in the past, so don’t be surprised if that’s the actual cost.)
Nijo Castle – This is one of Kyoto’s World Heritage Site and, as the name suggests, is a castle. If you’ve read any number of our posts on Kyoto, you know we love the place and arguably have rose-colored glasses about it. Nijo Castle is one of the biggest exceptions–we think you should get your Japanese castle “fix” in Himeji–especially during sakura season.
If that isn’t an option, Nijo-jo is a decent consolation prize. The castle is home to approximately 300 cherry trees of 50 varieties. Cherry blossoms are usually short-lived, but the blooming period of cherry trees at Nijo Castle differs since there are various varieties, allowing visitors to enjoy sakura season here earlier–and later–than other spots in Kyoto.
For 2024, NAKED Sakura Festival 2024: World Heritage Site Nijo-jo Castle will be held. This will feature cherry blossom projection mapping art at the Kara-mon Gate and digital artwork featuring the painted barriers inside the Ninomaru-goten Palace. In addition to enjoying an artistic hanami experience, there will be cherry blossom-themed food and drinks available to purchase.
Nijo-jo Castle is open for the NAKED sakura nighttime illumination from March 8 until April 7, 2024 from 6 pm until 10 pm, with final admission at 9 pm. The cost is a whopping 2,000 yen per adult and 1,200 yen per child from Monday through Thursday, and 2,400 yen per adult or 1,600 yen per child on weekends and holidays. Personally, I don’t believe it’s worth it. This would be my last pick for nighttime illuminations given the cost in both time and money.
Hirano Shrine – A small shrine you probably won’t even hear discussed outside of sakura season, Hirano Shrine is renowned in the spring for the festival it has hosted since 985, making it the longest-running annual event in Kyoto.
With a winding path of trees illuminated at night plus a variety of food vendors, Hirano Shrine is an incredibly popular hanami spot. The good news is that it’s out of the tourist districts (although it is walkable from Ryoanji or the Golden Pavilion), so you’re more likely to see locals than tourists.
The fun starts at Hirano Shrine at sundown, running until 9 p.m. from March 23 until April 14, 2024. There’s no charge for the main grounds, but it’s 500 yen for the garden. Get here via City Bus #205 to “Kinugasako-mae.” It isn’t the easiest spot to find–but it’s also about a block away from Kitano Tenman-gū Shrine (also open on select nights through early March) and within walking distance of the Golden Pavilion.
In our view, Hirano Shrine is a sakura season must-do. Not if you only have a single night in Kyoto–you’ll get more bang for your buck from Higashiyama. But if you have two nights, this is about the must fun and authentic hanami experience you can have in Kyoto. See more in Hirano Shrine: Kyoto’s Sakura Party Scene.
If you’re planning a trip to Japan that includes Kyoto, we recommend that you start by consulting our Ultimate Guide to Kyoto, Japan to plan all aspects of our vacation. You should also check out our other posts about Japan for ideas on other places to visit!
Your Thoughts
Have you visited Kyoto during sakura season? Did you have a chance to visit any of these locations to see the nighttime illuminations? Any other temples or shrines you’d recommend visiting for cherry blossoms? Any questions about these sakura season recommendations and tips? Hearing your feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts or questions below in the comments!
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