Zenkoji Temple in Nagano: A Quiet Day Out

This guide covers the way to Zenkoji, the gates and the main hall, the Okaidan-meguri, the timing and the practical details for a day out.

Zenkoji is a temple of no particular sect, and it is run jointly by the Tendai sect and the Jodo sect. At the innermost part of the main hall, a pitch-dark passage called the Okaidan-meguri runs beneath the principal image. The main hall is designated a National Treasure.

Getting to Zenkoji

The steps below take you from Nagano to the main hall, and the table adds the walking and driving routes.

1. Take the bus from JR Nagano Station to Zenkoji Daimon, a ride that takes about 15 minutes and costs 190 yen.
2. On the city bus, board at the rear, take a numbered ticket as you get on, and get off at the front.
3. From the Zenkoji Daimon bus stop, walk about 5 minutes to the main hall.

From	Route	Time
JR Nagano Station to Zenkoji Daimon	By bus, 190 yen	About 15 minutes
JR Nagano Station, Zenkoji exit, to Zenkoji	On foot	About 30 minutes
Nagano IC or Suzaka-Nagano-Higashi IC to Zenkoji	By car	About 40 minutes

The Gates and the Main Hall

The stone-paved approach runs from the grounds entrance to the main hall. The Sanmon gate is designated an Important Cultural Property.

The roof of the main hall is covered with Japanese cypress bark. Seen from above, the ridge of the main hall forms a T shape.

The table below puts the buildings in date order.

Year	Building	What happened
642	Principal image	Moved to the present site
1707	Main hall	Rebuilt in its present form
1750	Sanmon gate	Built
1759	Kyozo sutra repository	Built
1953	Main hall	Designated a National Treasure

Inside the Main Hall

The principal image is enshrined in the Ruridan at the innermost part of the main hall. The Ruridan normally has door curtains hung, so it cannot be seen from outside. The inner sanctum also holds large wooden fish drums and a large bell, and their sound carries beyond the hall into the precincts.

The entrance to the Okaidan-meguri is at the back of the inner sanctum, on the right side. In the pitch-dark corridor beneath the floor of the Ruridan altar, touching the lock of paradise hanging midway connects visitors with the hidden principal image above it.

Timing Your Visit

The daily morning service, the Oasaji, starts earlier in summer and later in winter. The inner sanctum opens an hour before the morning service. The inner sanctum closes a little earlier in winter than in summer, and the tables at the end give the times by month.

If you would rather have the route and the timing arranged for you, tours around Zenkoji and Nagano are available.

Hours and Fees, and Planning the Day

The tables below set out a plan for the day, then the opening times, the fees and the parking charges.

Part of the day	Stop or leg	Duration or hours
Arrive	JR Nagano Station to Zenkoji Daimon by bus	About 15 minutes
Arrive	Zenkoji Daimon bus stop to the main hall on foot	About 5 minutes
Visit	Main hall inner sanctum and Okaidan-meguri	Opens one hour before the morning service
Visit	Sanmon, Kyozo and history museum	9:00 to 16:00

Place or service	Hours
Daily morning service	From 5:30 in summer to 7:00 in winter
Main hall inner sanctum, opening	One hour before the morning service
Main hall inner sanctum, closing	16:30 from April to October, 16:15 in March and November, 16:00 from December to February
Sanmon, Kyozo and history museum	9:00 to 16:00, and until 13:00 on December 31

Ticket	General	Junior and senior high school	Elementary school	Preschool
Main hall inner sanctum and Okaidan-meguri	800 yen	300 yen	100 yen	Free
Sanmon, upper floor	800 yen	300 yen	100 yen	Free
Kyozo	500 yen	300 yen	100 yen	Free
Common ticket for the inner sanctum, Sanmon, Kyozo and history museum	1,500 yen	600 yen	200 yen	Free

Parking	Fee
Passenger car	600 yen for up to 2 hours, then 300 yen per hour
Motorcycle	500 yen
Bus or microbus	3,000 yen for up to 2 hours, then 500 yen per 30 minutes