Kawagoe · Around Kitain Temple
Kitain Temple
How to get there and what to see · facts checked 2026-10-24
Photo: tak1701d・CC BY-SA 3.0
A Tendai Buddhist temple founded in 830, known for buildings moved from Edo Castle and for its 538 Rakan statues.
- Nearest station
- 15 min walk from Hon-Kawagoe Station
- Hours
- Opens 9:00. Closes 16:30 weekdays / 16:50 Sun & holidays (Mar 1–Nov 23); 16:00 / 16:20 (Nov 24–end Feb). Entry ends 30 minutes before closing
- Admission
- Admission: adults ¥400, elementary and junior high students ¥200
What to see
- Iemitsu's birth room and Lady Kasuga's dressing room: in the reception hall and study moved from Edo Castle; both can be viewed.
- Gardens: the Enshu-style Momijiyama garden seen from the hall, and a dry landscape garden behind the study.
- Gohyaku Rakan: 538 stone statues of Buddha's disciples beside the gate, counted among Japan's three great Rakan sites.
- Main gate: built in 1632 and a national Important Cultural Property, the oldest building to survive the great fire. It is under repair now.
Seasons
- Known for the Daruma fair on January 3. Weeping cherry in spring and autumn colors are highlights (the temple has feature pages).
History
Tradition says the priest Jikaku Daishi founded it in 830. After the great fire of 1638, the third shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu had buildings from Edo Castle moved here to serve as the reception hall and study.
Getting there
About a 15-minute walk from Hon-Kawagoe Station (Seibu), 18 minutes from Kawagoeshi Station (Tobu), or 20 minutes from Kawagoe Station (JR and Tobu).
Address：1-20-1 Kosenba-cho, Kawagoe, Saitama
Before you go
[REPAIRS] The main gate is being repaired until around September of next year (the temple's June 2026 notice, so about September 2027). You cannot pass through it; signs show the route in. Closed Dec 25 – Jan 8, the afternoon of Feb 2 and all of Feb 3, and Apr 2–4.
Map of sights in Kawagoe
Tap a red pin to open that sight's page.
Nearby sights
← Kawagoe guide: trains from Tokyo
Sources
Hours, prices and history come from the official websites and public tourism pages listed here. They can change, so check the official site before you go.
- 喜多院 公式サイト（トップ）（checked 2026-10-24）
- 喜多院 公式サイト（拝観）（checked 2026-10-24）
- 喜多院 公式サイト（山門保存修理工事のお知らせ）（checked 2026-10-24）
- 喜多院 公式サイト（創建と歴史）（checked 2026-10-24）
- 川越市（喜多院）（checked 2026-10-24）
- 小江戸川越観光協会（喜多院）（checked 2026-10-24）
Map data：© OpenStreetMap contributors