ABOUT
About this spot
Honnō-ji is a head temple of the Hokke-shū Honmon-ryū sect on Teramachi-dori in central Kyoto. It is best known as the setting of the Honnō-ji Incident of 1582, when the warlord Oda Nobunaga was attacked by his retainer Akechi Mitsuhide. The temple of that time stood at a different location; the present temple was moved here on the orders of Toyotomi Hideyoshi around 1591-92. The temple was founded in 1415 and was burned several times, and the current main hall dates from 1928. Inside the grounds you can visit the memorial mausoleum of Oda Nobunaga, a joint grave for the retainers who died in the incident, and a ginkgo tree said to have spouted water and stopped a fire in the Great Tenmei Fire. The Taihoden Treasure Museum displays items connected with Nobunaga, such as tea utensils and letters. The grounds are free and open from 6:00 to 17:00. The temple is right next to Kyoto Shiyakusho-mae Station, so it pairs easily with a walk to Nishiki Market (about 660 m) or Yasaka Shrine (about 1.2 km).
Last updated October 25, 2026