Zenko-ji Temple

Zenko-ji Temple

Zenko-ji Temple
4.5
6:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
6:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
6:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
6:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
6:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
6:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
6:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
6:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
Duration: < 1 hour
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  • Tinytot2016
    Gunma Prefecture, Japan11,709 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Gokaidan pilgrimage at Zenkoji Temple
    Pulled by a cow to Zenkoji Temple A visit to Zenkoji Temple is a must in a lifetime This time I experienced the Gokaidan pilgrimage When I went down the stairs it was pitch black I couldn't see anything I was able to reach the right wall and touch the lock of paradise When I saw the light I felt like I was reborn It was a thrilling experience
    Visited February 2024
    Traveled with friends
    Written February 18, 2024
  • saiplant
    Fukuchiyama, Japan39 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    It is better to visit the Kaidan pilgrimage
    First of all, the building itself is very beautiful and lovely. The shops along the approach to the shrine were also quite nice. First of all, the pilgrimage to the shrine is really pitch black. You can see nothing in the distance. It's not actually that far, but it feels really long. It's cold, so I recommend going when it's warmer.
    Visited February 2024
    Traveled solo
    Written April 6, 2024
  • Karen M
    Kirkwall, United Kingdom1,357 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Amazing architecture to this stunning temple & gardens
    Amazing architecture & huge main structure. The numerous buildings are surrounded by tranquil gardens & paths. You're able to stroll around all of the buildings & enter a few - some require a ticket. Sign posts direct you around the gardens & it's easy to follow
    Visited February 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written June 3, 2024
  • ムーミンパパ
    Japan86 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Visit Zenkoji Temple pulled by a cow
    It is a well-known shrine in Japan and a convenient destination for transportation from Tokyo Station. If you get off at Nagano Station on the Shinkansen or JR regular line, you can reach the gate in about 10 minutes by bus or private railway from the same station. When using private railways between Nagano Station and the front gate, please check the station location and timetable in advance. The bus stop is right in front of the gate. For more information about Zenko-ji Temple, check out another review.
    Visited August 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written August 8, 2024
  • FrequentFlier825067
    Kochi, Japan1,839 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Run over by a cow.
    Everyone knows that this famous temple is for the common people, regardless of sect. I didn't have much time, so I took a taxi to get there, and it was interesting to take a shortcut down the street where there were many lodgings, and the driver explained a lot along the way. It seemed to be just in time, so without knowing what it was, I bought an inner sanctum ticket for the main hall, got an explanation and went around the ordination hall. At the far end of the main hall, enter a completely dark passageway that passes directly under the principal image. It was more complete darkness than I expected. It was my first time in the dark where I couldn't see a bit, so it was a bit scary. As I was told, I managed to keep my right hand on the wall. I was able to safely touch the lock of paradise on the way. This lock is tied to the honzon (principal object of worship) and can be directly connected by touching it. The main hall is indeed a national treasure. It is magnificent, spacious and awesome. The inner sanctum is large and you can see ornaments and the 25 Raigo Bosatsu statues nearby. It is powerful and overwhelming wherever you look. The bell tower near the main hall is said to be the bell that opened at the Nagano Olympics. The Sanmon Gate was also magnificent. This one has a famous dove frame. There are also lotus ponds, sutra repository, Nio-mon Gate and many other places to see. I didn't have enough time on the first day, so I made a morning time on the last day to visit. I looked around at places I hadn't seen before, but the atmosphere was different in the morning and I enjoyed it. Nakamise Street was fun, not to mention shopping and seeing old buildings.
    Visited September 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written August 27, 2024
  • Tricky
    Stockholm, Sweden277 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Nice
    Having travelled a fair amount in Japan the temples begin to look pretty much the same after a while. But this one stood out. I didn't buy a ticket, so I just saw the free areas and strolled around in the garden where I had a lovely cup of amazake by a little pond. A nice, relaxing day in other words.
    Visited November 2024
    Traveled solo
    Written November 3, 2024
  • yokoyoko1973
    Guangzhou, China1,188 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    It was my first visit.
    I have had many opportunities to visit Nagano Prefecture in the past, but this was my first visit there. It was a bigger temple than I had heard. It was a very spectacular architecture because it was a large temple. I think it's worth a visit here. This visit was very lively partly because it was Saturday. It took quite a while to get into the parking lot.
    Visited November 2024
    Traveled solo
    Written November 17, 2024
  • AmarilisVos
    Jabbeke, Belgium2,660 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    No photography inside
    We visited this park and its temples on December 5th. In Zenko-ji Hondo, the main temple, photography is not allowed. Many of the temples charge an entrance fee. The Nakemesi Dori, a street with a collection of souvenir shops, vendors of Buddhist altar accessories and restaurants is an ideal place to take a break and enjoy a pancake with ice cream.
    Visited December 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written December 18, 2024
  • tenthlisten
    San Francisco, California324 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful Temple and Morning Ceremony
    This is a beautiful temple in Nagano. I attended the morning ceremony, which is held at sunrise (6:30am in November). We were blessed as the monks entered the temple. The ceremony was mostly chants, which were beautiful. Photography is not allowed. I believe that there are two sections for the public to view the ceremony. I stood in the back section and enjoyed the ceremony. The monks also blessed people outside of the temple once the ceremony concluded. I believe the ceremony took about 30-45 minutes. My guesthouse said that a morning ceremony led by female monks was held in another temple on the grounds 30 minutes after the ceremony started in the main temple, but I couldn't find it. The temple grounds (not the temple itself) are also open at night, which was a great time to explore as the grounds were empty. The whole area had a really wonderful energy and I highly recommend visiting while in Nagano.
    Visited November 2024
    Traveled solo
    Written December 20, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles1,993 reviews
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k_matsu132
Kushiro, Japan23,593 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2023 • Couples
Zenkoji Temple has a history of about 1,400 years since its founding, and its principal image is the Ikko Sanzon Amida Nyorai, said to be the oldest Buddhist statue in Japan. It had been over 20 years since we last visited Zenkoji Temple.
There are several parking lots dotted on the north and west sides of Zenkoji Temple, but we parked our car in Parking Lot No. 1, located just north of the main hall. From here, you enter the temple grounds from the north entrance of the temple and immediately emerge at the back of the main hall. Since you first see the main hall, then tour the other halls and walk along Nakamise Street, this may be the wrong order, but aside from that it was the most convenient parking lot.
Google
Written September 8, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Biffro
London, UK1,412 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023 • Couples
This temple is absolutely beautiful and our favourite so far having visited many of the shrines and temples in Tokyo. There are much less tourists here which gives you the opportunity to savour and enjoy the surroundings. The template has been so well preserved and has lots of small shrines and a gate on the approach up to it with beautiful trees and plants and lanterns all around. There are also lots of little restaurants and places to buy souvenirs. We had a really enjoyable walk up to see this - 25 minutes from Nagano station and it was well worth the walk. A really beautiful place.
Written May 12, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Zfy Ed
Singapore, Singapore10,995 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2022
Visitors to Nagano will surely not miss this attraction as it is the No.1 recommended place to visit. About a good 25 min walk from JR Nagano station, you will reach this massive, spectacular and beautiful curated temple and temple grounds. Do note that while walking here, it's like "walking up a gentle mountain slope", so a good walking pair of shoes is recommended.

The temple is huge and segregated into different sections and the main temple is the one that most visitors will visit and do their photoshoot. From the main entrance to the main temple ground, you will need to walk about 10-12mins, passing by the Nakamise-dōri Street, with shops located on both sides and mostly selling souvenirs of the temple and of Nagano, food, ice cream, cafe etc.

For Buddhists or local religious enthusiasts, this place is definitely worth a visit as you can learn a lot it's historical roots, developments over the centuries and may take quite a while as you may involve in some of the rituals. But for us, it's just an eye opening visiting experience to gain new insights.

There are also garden grounds around with greenery and you can relax and take a seat here.

From here, a short walk will lead you to the city museum of the art and park, which I will review separately!
Written January 5, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ミチコ 徳山
Japan422 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2023 • Family
When I happened to go there, a prayer was being held, and the dragon screen on the left side of the main hall was raised, and I was able to worship the principal image for a few seconds. After that, I went to the altar. It was dark near the entrance, and inside it was pitch black, so I felt uneasy if I wasn't attached to the person in front of me. The location of the lock was shown on an illustration on the wall to the right of the entrance, and it said to hold on to that position. It was different from what I had imagined, but I was able to make a connection.
Other people also stuck to you, and it was dark, so you need to be careful of pickpockets.
Google
Written November 22, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

PandaHouston
Houston, TX6,114 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019
We came to Zenko-ji Temple in the afternoon on Tuesday December 31. We were staying at the Metropolitan Hotel in Nagano Station and bought the Snow Monkey Pass for 3600 yen per person. This Pass gave us unlimited use of the Nagano Dentetsu Line. We used this train for the quick 5 minute ride to the Zenkōjishita Station which is the closest to Zenkoji Temple. From the station, it is about a 10 minute walk. Entrance is free to the temple.

A lot of people combine this temple with the Snow Monkey Park since this temple is so easy to get to from Nagano Station and transportation is included with the Snow Monkey Pass.

The temple area isn't that large so we spent around 30 minutes there.
Written January 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ワイズマン
Shibuya, Japan311 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Couples
I visited for the first time in about 30 years. There is a pitch black Kaidan Meguri in the basement of the main hall of Zenkoji Temple, which is quite crowded from the morning on a weekday. However, in order to experience the atmosphere of hell, the use of mobile phones and flashlights is prohibited, so it is really pitch black. It is said that you can get a blessing by touching the handle along the wall along the way, but it is pitch black so it is difficult to find it. I think it is a distance of less than 5 minutes if you walk normally, but halfway, the line stopped moving at all and it felt like I was left in the dark for more than 10 minutes, which was mentally tough. Perhaps the person who was looking for the handle could not be found, and the line did not move at all for about 5 minutes while I was looking for it. It may be famous, but I had no idea about the darkness and there was no advance notice or explanation, so it was unkind. I did not know well how to use the ticket machine or electronic payment, and there was an elderly person standing there, but I did not feel like asking him. It is one of the most popular places of worship in Japan, and there are many visitors, but I felt that they are resting on their popularity.
Google
Written October 26, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Hiroaki Kaneko
Tokyo, Japan5,597 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2021
長野を代表する寺院の一つ。年間を通して国内外から多くの参拝客・観光客が訪れる。にもかかわらず境内は過度な観光地化はされておらず、国籍や年齢問わずほとんどの参拝客・観光客は比較的静かに参拝している。安置されている仏像は勿論のこと、多くの建物自体が国宝もしくは重要文化財に指定されている。
基本的に境内は無料で利用できるが、一部の建物内(本堂、経蔵、山門等)は入場料金が必要。各建物や安置されている仏像の案内には英語も併記されており、境内に常駐するガイドも必要に応じ英語で案内するため、海外からの観光客も安心して利用できる。
長野駅から2km程の距離があるため、バスなどの公共交通機関も整備されているが、特に苦にもならない緩やかな坂道である上に、参道や仲見世通りには店も多く立ち並んでいるため、徒歩で参拝する人も多い。
お勧めの季節は5月の新緑の季節。比較的人も少なく陽の光に照らされた新緑が素晴らしく、清々しい気持ちになれるだろう。お勧めの時間帯は夜。仲見世通り等の店は全て閉まっているが、その分休日でも人の姿はほとんどいない。ライトアップされた本堂を独り占めできるチャンスかもしれない。

It's one of the representative temples in Nagano. It is visited by many worshippers and tourists from home and abroad throughout the year. In spite of this, the temple grounds are not overly touristy, and most worshippers and tourists, regardless of nationality or age, worship in relative silence. In addition to the enshrined Buddhist statues, many of the buildings themselves have been designated as national treasures or important cultural properties.
Basically, you can use the temple for free, but some buildings (the main hall, sutra storehouse, temple gate, etc.) require an entrance fee. Information on each building and the Buddha statues enshrined therein is not only Japanese but also written in English, and guides stationed in the temple provide information in English when necessary, so tourists from overseas can use the temple with peace of mind.
It is about 2 km from Nagano Station, so while public transportation such as buses are available, the road to the temple is a gentle slope that is not particularly difficult, and many stores are lined on the approach and Nakamise Street, so many people visit the temple on foot.
It is about 2 km from Nagano Station, so while public transportation such as buses are available, the road to the temple is a gentle slope that is not particularly difficult, and many stores are lined on the approach and Nakamise Street, so many people visit the temple on foot.
My recommendation season to visit is during the fresh green season in May. There are relatively few people here, and the fresh greenery in the sunlight is wonderful and refreshing. The best time to visit is at night. All the stores on Nakamise Street are closed, but this means that even on holidays there are few people around. You may have a chance to see the main hall lit up all by yourself.
Written May 13, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ナタリア
Saku, Japan6 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019 • Family
We went to Nagano for a day and explored Zenkoji-temple with my child. It's a short around 15-20 min walking from Nagano station. You can walk on site free but if you want to go inside, you need to pay the entrance fee for a reasonable price. The place is still beautiful in all seasons. We went on December 7th and could enjoy some blooming trees in the park.
Written February 11, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

dynamic14
Singapore, Singapore10,066 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Couples
As part of our Snow Monkey Tour, a visit to the Zenkoji temple was part of the itinerary.

A fee is required to enter the main hall of Zenkoji temple and no photographs are allowed.

This is the third largest temple in Japan and you can access by walking from JR Nagano station in about 30 minutes. Or you can take a bus.

There are various statues and little temples along the way to the main temple. Walk along the cobblestone area with quaint stalls on both sides selling various souvenirs and food.

Try the oyaki which is Nagano’s speciality and also the spicy chocolate ice-cream.
Written February 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

DREGS
Grafham, UK386 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Couples
We enjoyed our visit. Finding the key to Paradise in the pitch black is a experience - not only does it show you how a blind person feels but also it is worth it for the atmosphere. The Buddhist praying area is very calm and they keep the place very keen in the Main hall so walking in stocking feet as you carry your shoes around in a bag is not a issue. Beware the initial steps down into the corridor with the key is dimly lit and the first steps are steep and deep.
The gardens are beautiful and there are plenty of places to have food - we took a bento box in with us and found a quit spot .
Plenty of loos around and opportunities abound for buying souvenirs, fortune telling and food.
It’s easy to find and if you take a bus it saves time but if not it’s an easy walk from the station.
Written October 7, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Zenko-ji Temple - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2025)

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