See four Kyoto temples with moss gardens for ¥1,500 with this summer deal

Moss enthusiasts, this one's for you: JR Tokai Tours is offering its oddly specific Kyoto Moss Tour Passport again this year. The ¥1,500 booklet is available until September 30, granting admission into any four of the six participating Kyoto temples known for their spectacular moss gardens. It's a strangely niche proposition, we know, but we promise they're all quite lovely.

Given that buying separate tickets for any four of these temples would add up to more than the cost of the booklet, it's quite the bargain. To get your hands on the 'passport', you can purchase an e-ticket here, which you must then use to pick up your booklet in person at the Kyoto Tourist Information Center 'Kyo Navi' in Kyoto Station.

Read on for more info on the six participating temples.

Myoshinji Temple Keishunin (妙心寺桂春院)

Built in 1337, the majestic Myoshinji Temple has evolved over centuries into the sprawling Buddhist complex seen today. Scattered across this massive site is a network of historical sub-temples, many of which, particularly those erected in the 1600s, have been officially designated as Tangible Cultural Properties of Kyoto.

Tucked away in the furthest northeast corner is Keishunin Temple, home to a garden so splendid it is now officially a National Site of Scenic Beauty. The grounds are made up of four distinct dry-landscape gardens, including the Shojo courtyard garden featuring white sand and the grass-filled Shinnyo Garden. While they each have a unique aesthetic, they all showcase a liberal use of moss to create scenes of evergreen, verdant beauty.

Jikkoin (実光院)

Hidden in the mountainous village of Ohara, Shorinin is one of Kyoto’s lesser-known temples, shielded from the city-centre crowds. The site was founded in 1013 as a training hall for traditional Buddhist ritual chanting known as ‘shomyo’. Jikko-in is a small monastery of Shorin-in, and it features two pristine gardens.

Here, you can relax in the main hall and take in the sights of the two gardens over a cup of tea. One garden features a waterfall and pond while the other incorporates the mountains in the distance as ‘borrowed scenery’.

Tofukuji Temple (東福寺)

With its numerous halls, gates, covered walkways and bridges, the ample grounds of Tofukuji Temple are a treat for architecture buffs. As for the gardens, head to the hojo – the head priest's former living quarters – in the centre of the precincts.

The hojo is surrounded on all sides by Zen gardens and moss, most notably the temple's iconic checkerboard pattern of stone tiles and moss on the northern side of the building. Normally an extra fee of ¥500 is required to see the hojo and its gardens, but fortunately your moss passport covers the fee.

Side note: not far from Tofukuji lies the world-famous Fushimi Inari Shrine with its thousands of vermillion torii gates. The shrine is only about a 15-minute walk away, so feel free to swing by after your visit.

Jojakkoji Temple (常寂光寺)

You won't find a designated moss garden at this Keicho-era (1596-1614) temple. Instead, practically the entire grounds of Jojakkoji Temple are absolutely covered in the stuff, with plenty of Japanese maples and bamboo to boot. (Come back in autumn for the maples, trust us.)

It's a little bit of a hike to get to the temple proper and its accompanying 12m-tall pagoda, but the trek is worth the effort, as the views of the surrounding area are stunning. After your visit, we recommend heading to Gioji Temple, which is only about a 10-minute walk away.

Gioji Temple (祇王寺)

The verdant Gioji Temple is a bit of a hidden gem, tucked away at the end of an unassuming side street in Arashiyama. With its quaint thatched-roof hut, what this little temple lacks in grandeur it makes up for in charm and tranquillity.

The whole area is covered in green, but no part more so than the moss garden smack dab in the middle of the temple grounds. The garden even includes what we're dubbing 'the moss shelf', a table with various bowls exhibiting just a few of the dozens of moss species you'll see in the garden.

Sanzenin Temple (三千院)

Sanzenin is one of the five temples in Kyoto where the head priests were once members of the Imperial family. The temple is known for its two central gardens: Shuheki-en and Yusei-en. Shuheki-en literally translates to 'the garden that gathers green', but to get the most bang for your mossy buck, we suggest Yusei-en. (They're right next to each other anyway.)

Both gardens offer plenty to see, though the former is better for enjoying while sitting down, while the latter is better for strolling. Each garden represents only a small portion of the area, so feel free to wander about and explore the various halls of the temple grounds, and keep your eyes peeled for the adorable Warabe Jizo statues (pictured above).

This article was originally published on August 14 2025 and updated on June 10 2026.

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