Muslim Friendly Japan
Heian Shrine

Heian Shrine

平安神宮

Heian Shrine is a Shinto shrine built in 1895 to mark 1,100 years since the founding of the old capital, Heian-kyo. It honors Emperor Kanmu, the first emperor of the Heian period, and Emperor Komei. The bright red buildings are a 5:8 scale copy of part of the old imperial palace of Heian-kyo. Behind the shrine buildings are four gardens covering 30,000 square meters, where flowers bloom through much of the year; the cherry trees bloom mostly in April. The large Jidai Matsuri (Festival of the Ages) procession is held here every October 22.

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Visitor information

Opening hours

Shrine grounds: March 1–September 30, 6:00–18:00; October, 6:00–17:30; November 1–end of February, 6:00–17:00.

Garden (Shin-en), March 1–September 30: 8:30–18:00. Last entry 17:30.

Garden (Shin-en), October: 8:30–17:30. Last entry 17:00. On October 22 only (Jidai Festival), entry is 9:30–11:30.

Garden (Shin-en), November 1–end of February: 8:30–17:00. Last entry 16:30.

Admission

Garden (Shin-en) admission: adults 600 yen, children 300 yen. Group discounts are available.

Getting there

From JR Kyoto Station, about 30 minutes: take City Bus 5 or 100 to "Okazaki Koen Bijutsukan / Heian Jingu-mae", then walk north for 5 minutes.

About a 10-minute walk from Exit 1 of Higashiyama Station on the Tozai Subway Line.

Hours and fees can change. Please check the official website before you go.

Good to know

  • As a rule, eating and drinking are not allowed on the shrine grounds.
  • Photos are allowed, except toward the main sanctuary (Honden) from the Daigokuden hall.
  • Wheelchair and stroller users can visit, but please be careful of steps and stairs.

Tips for Muslim visitors

  • You may simply look around. The shrine asks visitors not to walk down the middle of the approach path, which is considered the path of the deity, and to take off hats in front of the main hall.
  • The shrine garden gets very crowded during cherry blossom season (late March to mid-April) and on free-entry days.
  • Kyoto Handicraft Center (17 Shogoin Entomi-cho, Sakyo-ku) has no dedicated prayer room, but it may give you a vacant room to pray in if you ask at the information counter on the 1st floor of the West building. It is open 10:00–19:00.
  • Shinto shrines are open to everyone. Bowing, clapping and washing at the purification basin are optional; you can simply look around.
  • Shrines are usually busiest at New Year and during festivals. Early morning is often the calmest time to visit.
  • Charms, fortune slips and votive tablets are religious items. You do not need to buy or use them.
  • Plan your visit around prayer times. Below are today's prayer times for Kyoto and the verified places to pray nearby.
  • Food stalls and shops near popular sights usually do not have halal certification. Check the ingredients, or choose from the verified places on this site.

Prayer times in Kyoto

Today (5 Nov 2026)

  1. Fajr04:45
  2. Sunrise06:21
  3. Dhuhr11:43
  4. Asr14:37
  5. Maghrib16:59
  6. Isha18:25

Times are calculated for central Kyoto. Times may differ elsewhere in Kyoto.

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Places to pray near Heian Shrine

All places to pray in Kyoto →

Halal food near Heian Shrine

We have not verified a halal restaurant near here yet. Until then, these guides can help you choose food safely:

Distances and walking times are estimates based on straight-line distance.

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Photo: Hirayuki1886, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sources (Checked 5 Nov 2026): heianjingu.or.jp, kyoto.travel