FAQ
Questions about Yasaka Shrine
Open 24 hours, free, and quietest before 10:00 and late in the evening. The rest is below.
Visiting
- Is Yasaka Shrine open 24 hours?
- Yes. The shrine's official site says you can visit at any time, day or night. The shrine office, where you get amulets and goshuin, is open 9:00–17:00.
- Is Yasaka Shrine free to enter?
- Yes. There is no entrance fee for the grounds; the Kyoto City Tourism Association lists it as free. You pay only for things you choose, such as amulets or a goshuin.
- Can I ring the bell at night?
- No. For visitors' safety, the bell rope at the Main Hall is tied up from about 17:00 to about 6:00 the next morning. You can still pray in the usual way; you just can't ring the bell.
- What time can I get a goshuin at Yasaka Shrine?
- The handwritten Main Shrine goshuin (¥500) is written straight into your goshuin book from 9:00 to 16:00. After 16:00 you get it on a paper slip instead.
- How do I get to Yasaka Shrine from Kyoto Station?
- City bus 206 from bay D2 at Kyoto Station to the "Gion" stop, right in front of the shrine (¥230). On weekends and public holidays, the EX100 limited express from bay D1 takes about 17 minutes (¥500). By train, it's about 5 minutes on foot from Gion-Shijo Station (Keihan Line). The shrine has no parking.
Crowds
- What is the best time to visit Yasaka Shrine without crowds?
- Early morning or late evening. By our estimate it stays at 40 or lower out of 100 before 10:00 every day, and in the evening it eases to that level from about 19:00–21:00 (23:00 on Fridays). The grounds are open 24 hours, so both are possible.
- Is Yasaka Shrine crowded at night?
- Less than in the afternoon. On most days the estimate falls through the evening and is 40 or lower from about 19:00–21:00. Friday evenings stay busier: the busiest hour of the whole week is Friday 18:00 (85), and it only drops to 40 or lower at 23:00. From midnight to 6:00 it stays at 18 or lower.
- How busy is Yasaka Shrine on New Year?
- Okera Mairi on New Year's Eve (from about 19:30 until about 5:00 on 1 January) and hatsumode on 1–3 January don't follow the everyday pattern, so we show no estimate. The everyday table on this page doesn't apply on those days.
Planning
- How long does a visit take?
- About 30 minutes for the main sights and about 60 minutes for every shrine in the grounds, by the shrine's own suggested routes.
- Is the Yasaka Pagoda part of Yasaka Shrine?
- No. It is the 46 m pagoda of Hokanji, a Buddhist temple, about 520 m from the shrine's stone torii.
- Is Namba Yasaka Shrine the same shrine?
- No. Namba Yasaka Shrine (難波八阪神社), with the 12 m lion-head stage, is in Osaka.
- What happens on New Year’s Eve?
- Okera Mairi: a sacred fire burns from about 19:30 on 31 December until about 5:00 on 1 January, and visitors take some home on a rope.
Etiquette
- How do you pray at Yasaka Shrine?
- Put an offering in the box and ring the bell, bow twice, clap twice, make your prayer, then bow once. The shrine says there is no strict rule.
- Can I fly a drone?
- Drones and other remote-controlled aircraft are banned in the whole grounds and during all ceremonies and events, including the Gion Matsuri.
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