Wander autumn temples lit up after dark
Most temples in Japan close around 5pm, but in autumn some reopen after dark for a few weeks. Floodlit maples, gardens and wooden halls look nothing like they do by day, and some halls open to visitors only during these nights. Dates change every year, so check before you go.
Japan's tallest wooden pagoda, 55 meters high, is lit up at night and reflected in the pond below it. Inside the Lecture Hall, you can walk all the way around a 3D mandala of 21 Buddhist statues. In 2026, from Oct 31 to Dec 13, 6 to 9:30pm; a 15-minute walk from Kyoto Station.
Founded by the widow of the warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi, this temple projects moving images onto its rock garden and lights up a bamboo grove and a pond that mirrors the maples. It is in Higashiyama, a short walk from Yasaka Shrine and the old lanes of Ninenzaka. In 2026, from Oct 23 to Dec 13, from 5pm; once you leave, you cannot re-enter.
Lights pick out the maples along the path to the main hall and around the wooden bell tower. It is a short walk from Sanjusangendo and the Kyoto National Museum, so it makes a good evening stop after a day in eastern Kyoto. In 2026, from Nov 7 to Dec 6, 5 to 9pm; the treasure hall is closed at night.
Temple 81 of the Shikoku pilgrimage, a loop of 88 temples that pilgrims still walk in white robes, stands on a wooded mountain in Kagawa. During the light-up its maples glow after dark, and its treasure hall, normally open only by reservation, opens to all. In 2026, Fridays to Sundays and holidays from Nov 13 to 29, 5:30 to 9pm; it is easiest to reach by car or taxi.