Higashi Honganji

Higashi Honganji, formally called Shinshu Honbyo, is the head temple of the Shinshu Otani-ha school of Buddhism, located along Karasuma-dori in Kyoto. The name means the eastern Honganji, as it lies east of Nishi Honganji. The land was donated by Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1602, and the Amida Hall and Founder's Hall were built in 1603-1604. Fires destroyed both halls several times, and the present halls were completed in 1895. The Founder's Hall enshrines the portrait of Shinran and measures 76 m wide, 58 m deep and 38 m high, making it one of the largest wooden buildings in the world. The Amida Hall enshrines the principal Amida Buddha. Both halls and the roughly 27 m high Goeido Gate are Important Cultural Properties. The gates open at 5:50 (March-October) or 6:20 (November-February), so you can walk the grounds in the quiet of early morning. Kyoto Tower and Nishi Honganji are nearby.