Kodai-ji Temple Night Illumination - A Historic Temple Illumination Event

Nestled at the end of a picturesque stone-paved path in Kyoto's Higashiyama district, Kōdai-ji is a historic Zen temple where Nene, the widow of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, spent her later years and had it built to honor his memory. Known as the pioneer that introduced nighttime illumination to Kyoto in 1994, it has since become one of the city's most iconic attractions for night scenery.

Held three times a year—in spring, summer, and autumn—the Kōdai-ji illumination bathes its seasonal gardens and historic buildings in a fusion of cutting-edge technology and traditional beauty. In spring, a graceful weeping cherry tree over 100 years old blooms in harmony with the temple's elegant architecture. In summer, verdant maple leaves reflected in Garyū Pond and softly lit bamboo groves envelop the grounds in a dreamlike atmosphere. In autumn, fiery red foliage mirrored in the pond creates the breathtakingly symmetrical "upside-down garden."

A highlight not to be missed is the projection mapping show in the white-sand karesansui (dry landscape) garden known as Hashin-tei. Images inspired by Buddhist teachings and the Zen worldview are projected across the sand's surface, conveying profound themes such as life and death, and peace, through contemporary visual expression unique to each season. In the bamboo grove, blue and green gradient lighting transforms the serene Zen space into an ethereal scene. Garyū Pond and Engetsu Pond, with their mirror-like surfaces, reflect the illuminated landscapes in perfect clarity, offering a doubled beauty to behold.

The sight of temple architecture emerging from the darkness, paired with light displays that bring the seasonal beauty of nature to life, offers an irreplaceable moment to experience the depth of Japanese aesthetics and history.