Buddhist temple
Hōnen-ji (Ukyō Ward, Kyoto)
法然寺（京都市右京区）（ほうねんじ）
Ukyō, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture
A temple in Saga-Arashiyama, Kyoto, the 19th temple of the Hōnen Shōnin Twenty-Five Sacred Sites. Its principal image is a statue of Hōnen Shōnin said to have been carved by the Shōnin himself at the age of fifty-three.
English pages are the site’s own translations of its Japanese pages. The sources cited are in Japanese. 日本語で読む
Prayers associated with this place
Principal image: Hōnen Shōnin (a statue said to have been carved by the Shōnin himself)
History and things to know
According to the temple's guide, it was built in Kenkyū 8 (1197) by Kumagai Jirō Naozane (Renshōbō), who had become a monk as a disciple of Hōnen Shōnin, to pray for the repose of his parents. It first stood north of Shijō Karasuma; after receiving the devotion of Emperor Fushimi and of Emperors Go-Nara and Ōgimachi, it moved around within the city, and about 60 years ago it moved to Saga.
Introduced by this site, based on materials from the shrine or temple and public bodies.
Related kami and buddhas
Before you visit
There are temples of the same name in various places, so please confirm that it is the temple in Saga Tenryūji Tateishichō, Ukyō Ward, Kyoto.
Official website of the shrine or temple (may be in Japanese)
Sources (in Japanese)
- 法然寺（京都市右京区）「御祭神・御本尊・由緒の公式案内」（2026-10-22 確認）
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