List of Places of Scenic Beauty in Kyoto City: Gardens and Scenic Spots Other Than Special Places of Scenic Beauty

What is a "Place of Scenic Beauty"? How it differs from Special Places of Scenic Beauty and Historic Sites

Among scenic places such as gardens, bridges, gorges, beaches, and mountains, the national government designates those of high artistic or scenic value as "Places of Scenic Beauty" (meishō) and especially important ones as "Special Places of Scenic Beauty." Of the 433 Places of Scenic Beauty nationwide (including 36 Special Places of Scenic Beauty), 237 are gardens, followed by 41 beaches and 36 gorges and mountain streams (as of March 31, 2026, Reiwa 8).

Historic Sites are chosen for their historical or scholarly value and Places of Scenic Beauty for their artistic or scenic value, so the same garden is sometimes designated both, and each designation is counted as 1. Of the 40, 11, including Kōdai-ji Garden and the gardens of Myōshin-ji's subtemples, are also Historic Sites. The system as a whole and the 12 Special Places of Scenic Beauty are covered in a separate entry.

By the numbers: 40 of the 52, excluding Special Places of Scenic Beauty

Kyoto City has 52 Places of Scenic Beauty, including 12 Special Places of Scenic Beauty (as of April 1, 2026, Reiwa 8). The 40 that are not Special Places of Scenic Beauty are listed in the tables below.

By ward, Ukyō Ward has the most with 11, and 6 of them are the grounds and subtemple gardens of Myōshin-ji. Sakyō Ward centers on the gardens of hōjō and villas around Nanzen-ji and the Heian Jingū Shin'en, and Higashiyama Ward on the gardens of temples such as Kōdai-ji, Chion-in, and Tōfuku-ji. Sorted by content, the 40 are 36 gardens, 1 park (Maruyama Park), and 3 scenic spots: Arashiyama (a gorge), Omuro (a famous spot for cherry blossoms), and Narabigaoka (a viewpoint).

List (1): 12 places in Ukyō Ward and Arashiyama

Ōsawa Pond in Saga was made when Emperor Saga built his detached palace, Saga-in, and in 1922 (Taishō 11) it became the earliest of the 40 to be designated. The Omuro cherry trees at Ninna-ji are sato-zakura (cultivated cherries) that are short and spread their branches from near the base; they were designated in 1924. Narabigaoka is a hill designated in 1941 as a spot with a fine view across the whole Kyoto Basin, and the grounds of Myōshin-ji and the gardens of its subtemples, 6 in all, became Places of Scenic Beauty on the same day, July 31, 1931.

List (2): 13 places in Sakyō and Kita wards

Entsū-ji Garden in Sakyō Ward is an Edo-period flat dry landscape garden with a view of Mount Hiei beyond its hedge. Around Nanzen-ji are the Hōjō Garden, Nanzen-in, said to be the site of Cloistered Emperor Kameyama's detached palace, and the garden of Murin-an, which Ogawa Jihei VII made at Yamagata Aritomo's villa; the garden of nearby Tairyū Sansō is also thought to be the work of Ueji. West of the approach as you go down from Ginkaku-ji is Hakusasonsō, which the Japanese-style painter Hashimoto Kansetsu worked on for 30 years until his death. The 4 in Kita Ward are all gardens of Daitoku-ji's subtemples.

List (3): 15 places in Higashiyama, Kamigyō, and Shimogyō wards

Higashiyama Ward has the gardens of Kōdai-ji, associated with Kita no Mandokoro (Nene), and of Entoku-in, whose garden is said to have been moved from Fushimi Castle together with the Keshō Goten; the Chion-in Hōjō Garden, designated in 2021; and the Tōfuku-ji Honbō Garden, made by Shigemori Mirei (重森三玲) in 1939 (Shōwa 14). Kamigyō and Shimogyō wards have the gardens of Urasenke's Konnichian, Omotesenke's Fushin'an, and the Yabunouchi family's En'an (燕庵), all three designated on July 10, 1957. The Sugimoto Family Garden in Shimogyō Ward is the garden of a Kyoto townhouse (kyōmachiya) laid out from the Meiji to the Taishō era.

Places of Scenic Beauty known for autumn leaves

The Places of Scenic Beauty introduced as spots for autumn leaves, and their usual peak times, are as follows. Check the autumn-leaf information of the temples, shrines, and tourist guides for that year's colors.

• Arashiyama: usually mid- to late November. This scenic area is known for both spring cherry blossoms and autumn leaves
• Ōsawa Pond (Daikaku-ji): usually mid- to late November. About 700 cherry and maple trees stand around the pond
• Kōdai-ji Garden: usually mid- to late November. Entoku-in also has about 100 maples in its grounds, at their best from around mid-November to early December
• Entsū-ji Garden and Manshu-in Shoin Garden: both usually mid-November to early December
• Ryōan-ji Garden: the area around Kyōyōchi Pond (鏡容池) is a popular spot for autumn leaves, usually mid- to late November
• Nanzen-ji, Shōsei-en, and Maruyama Park usually mid- to late November, Hakusasonsō mid-November to early December, and Heian Jingū mid-November
• Tōfuku-ji: the Tsūtenkyō bridge, famous for autumn leaves, is a separate viewing area from the Honbō Garden, and there is no combined ticket from November 14 to December 6

Where can you see them now? Gardens open all year and gardens closed to the public

Places of Scenic Beauty with charged viewing all year include Ōsawa Pond at Daikaku-ji, the Ninna-ji Goten Garden, Entsū-ji, Manshu-in, the Nanzen-ji Hōjō, Murin-an, the Heian Jingū Shin'en, Hakusasonsō, Daisen-in, Kōdai-ji, Entoku-in, the Chion-in Hōjō, Chishaku-in, the Tōfuku-ji Honbō, and Shōsei-en. Maruyama Park is a Kyoto City park, Arashiyama is the area around the Togetsukyō bridge, and on Narabigaoka Kyoto City has laid out the "Tsurezure no Michi" walking path and open spaces.

Gyokuhō-in, Tōkai-an, and Reiun-in of Myōshin-ji, Reitō-in of Kennin-ji, Urasenke's Konnichian, and Kyoto University's Seifūsō are closed to the public. Jōju-in of Kiyomizu-dera can be seen during special openings in May and November (dates and times vary), and the Yabunouchi family's En'an during viewing sessions held on limited days.

• Fees for children: the Ninna-ji Goten Garden and Hakusasonsō are free for high school students and younger, and Shōsei-en and Entoku-in are free for elementary school age and under (Entoku-in requires 1 guardian per 5 elementary school children). At Kōdai-ji, admission is waived for elementary school age and under when accompanied by an adult guardian
• Autumn 2026 openings: Nanzen-in from November 1 to 30, and Jukō-in until December 6 (preschool children not admitted). The Sugimoto Residence is open to the public on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from November 6 to 22 (visitors are asked not to bring children of elementary school age and under)
• Fee changes: the Tōfuku-ji Honbō Garden will be 600 yen for adults from November 1, 2026, and Entsū-ji 700 yen for adults from December 1