Maple Garden at the Historic Odoi Earthworks: Autumn Illumination at Kitano Tenmangu Shrine
- Dates
- Nov 13 (Fri) – Dec 6 (Sun)
- Hours
- Sunset–8:00 PM (last admission 7:40 PM)
- Price
- Adults (junior high school age and older) ¥1,500; children ¥700; preschool children free
- Where
- Kitano Tenmangu Shrine, Odoi Maple Garden (Kitano-Hakubaicho)
One more nearbyShimai Tenjin: Year-End Tenjin Market at Kitano Tenmangu0.0 km · Dec 25 (Fri)More on Kyochika64 more · Festival & seasonal event in KyotoFree audio guidesSights in Kyoto with walk-and-talk audio guides
Walk beside the historic Odoi earthwork built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
Good to know
Around 350 maple trees color the historic Odoi earthworks built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Illumination runs from sunset until 8:00 PM, with last admission at 7:40 PM. Admission includes a sweet inspired by the historic Kitano Grand Tea Gathering.
- Dates
- Nov 13 (Fri) – Dec 6 (Sun)
- Hours
- Sunset–8:00 PM (last admission 7:40 PM)
- Venue
- Kitano Tenmangu Shrine, Odoi Maple Garden
- Nearest station
- Kitano-Hakubaicho
- Admission
- Adults (junior high school age and older) ¥1,500; children ¥700; preschool children free
About this event
Around 350 maple trees now grow beside Odoi, an earthwork built by the warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Kitano Tenmangu's maple garden is unusual because its autumn scenery is part of a historic defensive and flood-control structure. After sunset, illuminated trees line the Kamiyagawa River and surround the red arched Uguisubashi Bridge. A viewing platform at the Baikoken tea house offers another perspective. Although Kitano Tenmangu is best known as a shrine dedicated to the scholar Sugawara no Michizane, the garden also reveals Kyoto's urban history. A sweet associated with Hideyoshi's Kitano Grand Tea Gathering connects the visit to another chapter of the city's culture.
Highlights
- Walk beside the historic Odoi earthwork built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
- Admire around 350 maple trees along the Kamiyagawa River.
- Photograph the red Uguisubashi Bridge framed by autumn foliage.
- Enjoy the view from the platform at Baikoken tea house.
- Discover the connection to Hideyoshi's Kitano Grand Tea Gathering.
- Good for
- For travellers who enjoy autumn leaves, Japanese shrines, samurai history and tea culture.
Good to know before you go
- The illumination starts at sunset, so the exact starting time varies by day.
- Admission includes a sweet associated with Hideyoshi's Kitano Grand Tea Gathering.
Pochikichi's story cornerHow did Hideyoshi's earthwork become an autumn maple garden?
Kitano Tenmangu is dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, a scholar and statesman of Japan's Heian period. Revered as the deity of learning, he attracts worshippers from across the country. The shrine is famous for its plum blossoms, but its western grounds reveal another side of Kyoto's history.
Here stands a surviving section of Odoi, an earthen embankment constructed under Toyotomi Hideyoshi. It marked the boundary between Kyoto's urban area and the surrounding countryside and also helped protect against flooding. Over time, native and planted maple trees grew along the earthwork, creating a garden with around 350 trees.
The Kamiyagawa River runs through the garden, crossed by the vermilion Uguisubashi Bridge. Viewing platforms, including one by the Baikoken tea house, offer different views of the trees and historic landscape. A sweet connected with Hideyoshi's famous Kitano tea gathering adds a reminder of Kyoto's tea culture.
There is also a more ancient connection between the shrine and autumn leaves. According to the shrine's official account, Michizane composed a poem about offering beautiful maple leaves to the gods during a visit to Tamukeyama Hachimangu in 898. The same garden thus brings together the scholar's love of autumn leaves and Hideyoshi's transformation of Kyoto. Look for the red Uguisubashi Bridge and the maple trees growing around the old Odoi earthwork.
Sources: Kitano Tenmangu Official Website: Historic Odoi Maple Garden (Japanese), Kyoto City Official Tourism Guide: Odoi Maple Garden Illumination (Japanese)
Next stop: book for later today PR
Experiences near here you can book on Klook.
Yuzen DyeingYuzen dyeing in a historic machiya→Kintsugi WorkshopKintsugi repair experience→Ad: Klook affiliate links.
🍜 Where to eat after
Restaurants near here on Google Maps→Many restaurants in Kyoto take reservations, and some are cash only. Check the restaurant page before you go.
FAQ
- What is Maple Garden at the Historic Odoi Earthworks: Autumn Illumination at Kitano Tenmangu Shrine?
- Around 350 maple trees now grow beside Odoi, an earthwork built by the warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Kitano Tenmangu's maple garden is unusual because its autumn scenery is part of a historic defensive and flood-control structure. After sunset, illuminated trees line the Kamiyagawa River and surround the red arched Uguisubashi Bridge. A viewing platform at the Baikoken tea house offers another perspective. Although Kitano Tenmangu is best known as a shrine dedicated to the scholar Sugawara no Michizane, the garden also reveals Kyoto's urban history. A sweet associated with Hideyoshi's Kitano Grand Tea Gathering connects the visit to another chapter of the city's culture.
- When is Maple Garden at the Historic Odoi Earthworks: Autumn Illumination at Kitano Tenmangu Shrine?
- From Nov 13 (Fri) to Dec 6 (Sun), 2026.
- What are the opening hours?
- Sunset–8:00 PM (last admission 7:40 PM)
- How much does it cost?
- Adults (junior high school age and older) ¥1,500; children ¥700; preschool children free
- Where is it and what is the nearest station?
- Kitano Tenmangu Shrine, Odoi Maple Garden. The nearest station is Kitano-Hakubaicho.
More in Kyoto
Festival & seasonal event
Kencha-sai Tea Offering Ceremony, Kitano Tenmangu
Kitano Tenmangu Shrine (Kitano-Hakubaicho Sta.)
Dec 1 (Tue) Ritual from 10:00 (about 1 hour); tea rooms 9:00 – 15:00
A tea offering held in memory of the Great Kitano Tea Gathering of 1587, served in 2026 by the Urasenke school. Tea rooms are set up in the shrine grounds and in Kamishichiken. The ritual starts at 10:00 AM (about an hour); tea rooms 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
Details →Festival & seasonal event
Kamigyo Culture Scroll No. 13: Lecture and Cultural Property Tour at Kitano Tenmangu
Kitano Tenmangu Shrine (Bundo Kaikan and main sanctuary grounds) (Kitano-Hakubaicho Sta.)
Dec 19 (Sat) 13:30 – 15:30 (details on the official site)
A lecture by a Kitano Tenmangu priest on the shrine's history and its Han-Mando Festival, followed by a formal visit to the National Treasure main sanctuary and guided group tours. First 100 applicants; applications run Nov 20 to Dec 18. Preschool children cannot apply.
Details →Market
Tenjin-ichi Market (November 25) at Kitano Tenmangu Shrine
Kitano Tenmangu Shrine (Kitano-Hakubaicho Sta.)
Nov 25 (Wed) Hours: please check with the organizer (stalls open all day; grounds lit up from sunset)
The 25th of every month is the shrine's fair day, known as Tenjin-san no Hi, with stalls lining the approach all day and the grounds lit up from sunset. The last one of the year, on December 25, is called Shimai Tenjin.
Details →Market
Shimai Tenjin: Year-End Tenjin Market at Kitano Tenmangu
Kitano Tenmangu Shrine (Kitano-Hakubaicho Sta.)
Dec 25 (Fri) From 7:00 AM (closing time: please check with the organizer)
The market held on the 25th of every month closes the year on December 25. Known as Shimai Tenjin, it fills the shrine grounds with stalls of antiques, old tools and vintage clothing.
Details →Art exhibition
60th Anniversary Special Exhibition II: The Muses Who Modeled for Insho Domoto
Insho Domoto Museum of Fine Arts (Kitano-Hakubaicho Sta.)
Oct 15 (Thu) – Dec 20 (Sun) 09:30 – 17:00
A special exhibition celebrating the museum's 60th anniversary, exploring depictions of women that artist Insho Domoto pursued throughout his career.
Details →Festival & seasonal event
Koseiji Temple Autumn Special Opening with Night Viewing
Koseiji Temple (Nijo Sta.)
Nov 21 (Sat) – Nov 23 (Mon) 18:00 – 20:00
The evening session of Koseiji Temple's three-day autumn special opening in Kamigyo Ward. A tea service is offered for ¥800; last entry at 7:30 PM.
Details →
