Sanjūsangen-dō 三十三間堂
Sanjūsangen-dō is a Tendai Buddhist temple and a National Treasure of Japan. The main hall is dedicated to Thousand-Armed Thousand-Eyed Avalokiteśvara and is part of the 33 Sacred Sites of Luoyang Kannon and Myōhō-in Temple. It is one of the most looked-up sights in Japan, ranking 67th among the country's sights on English Wikipedia.
Planning a visit
To reach the temple, travelers can come from Tokyo, which is 364 km away, or use Osaka Itami International Airport, located 38 km from the site. The temple is situated near several other locations, including Kyōto Station at 1.2 km, Kiyomizu-dera at 1.4 km, and Yasaka Shrine at 1.9 km. Visitors can also visit Nishi Hongan-ji, which is 1.9 km away, or Fushimi Inari-taisha, located 2.3 km from the temple.
The climate varies by month. August is the warmest month, with a high of 31 °C and a low of 23 °C. January is the coldest month, with a high of 7 °C and a low of -1 °C. June is the rainiest month, with about 200 mm of rainfall. The temple is wheelchair accessible and has an entrance fee of ¥600. Opening hours are 08:30 to 17:00 from April 1 to November 15, and 09:00 to 16:00 from November 16 to March 31.
Weather by month
The warmest month is August, with an average high of 31 °C. The wettest is June, with about 200 mm of rain.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average high, °C | 7 | 8 | 12 | 18 | 22 | 26 | 29 | 31 | 27 | 21 | 15 | 10 |
| Average low, °C | -1 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 13 | 17 | 22 | 23 | 19 | 13 | 7 | 2 |
| Rainfall, mm | 61 | 74 | 112 | 110 | 152 | 200 | 199 | 114 | 166 | 118 | 75 | 56 |
| Rainy days | 16 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 15 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 13 | 12 | 17 |
Temperatures and rainfall: 1981–2010 averages for this spot (4 km grid), from CHELSA. Rainy days: 2015–2024, NASA POWER.
