Pagoda or shrine?
Is the Yasaka Pagoda part of Yasaka Shrine?
No. The Yasaka Pagoda belongs to Hokanji, a Buddhist temple; Yasaka Shrine is a Shinto shrine. They are about 520 m apart.
Both take their name from Yasaka, the old name of this area.
How are they different?
| Yasaka Shrine | Yasaka Pagoda | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Shinto shrine | Five-storey pagoda of Hokanji, a Buddhist temple |
| In Japanese | 八坂神社 | 法観寺（八坂の塔） |
| Known for | The West Gate, the lanterns, the Gion Matsuri | The 46 m pagoda; you can go inside |
| Hours | Open 24 hours, free | Check with the temple; we haven't confirmed current hours |
| Address | 625 Gionmachi Kitagawa, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto 605-0073 | 388 Kiyomizu Yasaka-kamimachi, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto 605-0827 |
| Bus stop | "Gion", right outside | "Kiyomizu-michi" or "Higashiyama Yasui", about 5 min on foot |
The temple is said to have been founded by Prince Shotoku and is linked to the Yasaka family, who lived in this area. It was once large; today only the pagoda and a small hall remain.
Source: Kyoto City and Kyoto Tourism Council (Japanese). Checked 20 October 2026.
Walking between them
About 520 m from the shrine's stone torii, roughly 7 minutes at an easy pace (shortest path on OpenStreetMap, our arithmetic at 80 m a minute). The pagoda is close to the walk between Kiyomizu-dera and the shrine, a short detour from Ninenzaka.
The walk from Kiyomizu-dera to Yasaka ShrineQuestions
- Is the Yasaka Pagoda part of Yasaka Shrine?
- No. The Yasaka Pagoda is the five-storey pagoda of Hokanji, a Buddhist temple. Yasaka Shrine is a Shinto shrine. They share the area's old name, Yasaka, but are separate places.
- How far is the Yasaka Pagoda from Yasaka Shrine?
- About 520 m on foot from the shrine's stone torii (south entrance), by the shortest path on OpenStreetMap: roughly 7 minutes at an easy pace.
- How tall is the Yasaka Pagoda?
- 46 metres.
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