What other travelers are saying about Toji Temple Flea Market
Sadly there's no pictures inside, and the inside is what's worth visiting. The grounds feature a nice small japanese garden, well made and beautiful, yet the statues inside the main building are stunning! It's a bigger complex, but the main buildings have entry tickets. You can buy a combined ticket, which I recommend not for the museum, but for the Kanchi-in. Definitely enter the "kondo". Tree-sized Buddhas are awesome
One of the best temples we have been too. Won't bore you with temple part, but the best thing was, the sunday we went, they had a huge flea market. It was just awesome. All this great 2nd hand stuff within the grounds. Just blown away with happiness.
I got a way cool wind up small clock and Mrs got some strange dolls lol
I came here for the autumn night viewing last November and it was nothing short of spectacular. The entire place is strategically lit up in a way that accentuates the structures and surrounding landscape. The pagoda in particular looks amazing and there is a lake in the garden area that reflects the pagoda off its surface.
When I went, some of the buildings were open so you could look at the statues inside. Admission was ~1000 Yen, if I recall correctly.
I hadn't planned on coming here originally but am very glad I made the spontaneous decision to do so.
Me and my parents visited this place in the evening and the view was stunning! Although only a little red leaves when we were there, the layers of colour (green/ yellow/ brown/ red) mixed together in harmony. The temples and Buddha statues were breath taking as well! Highly recommended. If not because if the time constrain, I'd love to visit there in daytime too.
They are doing their autumn light shows in the evening right now (Nov/Dec). Don’t be discouraged by the line to go in, it moves very quickly. It was very busy inside but we were able to take great photos and really enjoy the evening views.
The market is held on the 21st of every month in honor of Kobo Daishi (Kukai), the founder of Shingon Buddhism, who is enshrined at To-ji Temple.
Visitors can find a vast array of items, including Japanese antiques, kimonos, pottery, jewelry, toys, tools, and plants. There are also numerous food stalls offering local Kyoto cuisine and other Japanese snacks.
To-ji Temple is located in the Minami ward of Kyoto, a short walk from To-ji Station on the Kintetsu Kyoto Line or a 15-minute walk from Kyoto Station.
While bargaining is not as common in Japan as in some other countries, some vendors may be open to negotiation, especially for antiques or larger purchases. However, it's important to be respectful and not too aggressive in bargaining.
Most vendors at the flea market accept only cash, so it's advisable to bring enough cash for your purchases. There are ATMs nearby in case you need to withdraw money.
