Kyoto's Plum Blossom Shrines in Autumn: Kitano Tenmangu and Jonangu

Kitano Tenmangu and Jonangu are two of the places people in Kyoto think of first for plum blossoms in February and March. Both are also known for their autumn leaves, so they are worth a visit in autumn too, for a very different view.

The dates and fees below are for 2026, checked on each shrine's official website. They change every year, so check before you go.

Kitano Tenmangu: the Odoi Maple Garden

Kitano Tenmangu enshrines Sugawara no Michizane and is famous for its plum trees. According to the shrine, Michizane loved autumn leaves as much as plum blossoms, and one of his poems compares the maples at Tamukeyama to brocade.

On the west side of the grounds is part of the Odoi, an earthen wall that Toyotomi Hideyoshi built in 1591. This area is now the Odoi Maple Garden, with about 350 maple trees. You can look down on the leaves from the top of the wall and up at them from below. Look out for the red Uguisu bridge over the Kamiya river and a three-trunked maple said to be more than 400 years old.

• Open: 31 October – 6 December 2026, 9:00–16:00 (last entry 15:40)
• Evening illumination: 13 November – 6 December, sunset–20:00 (last entry 19:40)
• Admission: adults (junior high school and older) ¥1,500, elementary school children ¥700, preschool children free (tea sweet included)
• Tripods are not allowed in the garden.

The garden also opens in early summer for its fresh green maples (25 May – 28 June in 2026, adults ¥500).

Jonangu: the shrine garden and autumn camellias

Jonangu is known for its weeping plum and camellia festival in February and March. According to the shrine, about 120 trees, mostly Japanese maples, reach their best in the Heian, Muromachi and Momoyama gardens from around mid-November to early December, later than in central Kyoto. Autumn-flowering camellias bloom too.

• Garden admission: adults ¥800
• Maple tea room (2026): 28 November – 6 December, 10:00–15:30 (last order). For a ¥700 offering, you can have matcha and a sweet while looking at the maples in the Muromachi garden (garden visitors only).
• There is free parking for 200 cars.

Staying in Kyoto in autumn

Kyoto is busy in the autumn leaf season. The Kitano Tenmangu illumination runs until 20:00, so staying nearby lets you see the leaves at night without hurrying. Each place's page also shows nearby hotels and how to get there.

For Kyoto's plum blossom spots, see the plum blossom map; for day trips in the plum season, see day trips from the Kansai area.