Suzumushi Temple
Suzumushi Temple
4
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.


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4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles310 reviews
Excellent
114
Very good
109
Average
50
Poor
15
Terrible
22

Kimitaka S
Taichung, Taiwan14,141 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2020 • Solo
Because there are many crickets, this temple is called Suzumushidera. When you go inside, you are obliged to take a seat and listen to a discourse of a bonze for a half hour. It smells a little bit a commercialism. So, some people might not like this kind of temple, while some others support it. The garden is just average, but the view of Kyoto from the temple is beautiful.
Written 26 December 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ynrh
Japan1 contribution
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2017 • Friends
I visited Suzumushi temple on weekend with my university friends. The lecture from chief priest was very interesting and there are many bell crickets. We heard the sound of the bell cricket. It was relaxing after that we walked to beautiful garden. The fee was only 500 yen including Japanese sweet and tea. I really enjoyed. It was crowded because there are many visitors, so I recommend you to go to cooler season.
Written 17 July 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

JSL
Washington DC, DC11 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2018 • Solo
I visited it on a hot Saturday afternoon in July. When I arrived by the 63 JR bus, there was a line to get in. After 20 minutes we entered but I was told I could not enter the Temple itself if I didn't speak Japanese, because the lecture would be in Japanese. I was told I could see the garden for 300 yen though so I decided I might as well. But it was small and not particularly interesting. It's possible this non-Japanese-speaker policy is only on weekends, but for me it was a waste of time.
Written 14 July 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

えんがわ た
2 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2017 • Friends
Go ahead if u wanna watching the dumb japanese clowd.

京都が守ってきた美意識の対極にある、下品な観光地。

こんな寺を高評価にしてる人は、ただのステマかよっぽど足りないのだろう。
Written 25 July 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

らるっくま
Kobe, Japan38 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2017 • Friends
o. This temple is not so big, but very popular in Japan.
Maybe because the lecture from chief priest is very interesting, and there are many bell crickets.
In japan, charm of this temple is a kind of fashion.
I saw many people wear it.

1. Access
By Bus, car, taxi
Rental Car is my recommendation.

2. Translation
This temple doesn't have translation tool.
If you want to go, translator is necessary.
And without translator, you couldn't enjoy at all.

3. souvenir
Charm... 300 YEN
Amulet... 800YEN
Written 25 June 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

felissia Z
Shanghai, China97 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2016 • Couples
my Jap friend recommended Suzumushi-tera (temple) for praying & grant wishes. so... during my traveling in Kyoto, i & my husband took a chance to come to this temple.
we went there by Train. We walked for 20-30 mins from train station to this temple.
once we arrived, we joined the queue to get into the lecture room. (entrance fee charged) The lecture only held in Japanese & 30 mins long. During the lecture... we will hear the sound of the bell cricket. it was very relaxing that almost made me fall asleep (since me & husband dont understand Japanese at all). after the lecture finished, we walk to the garden. the garden is small but beautiful. There was one spot in the garden which u can see the view of Kyoto (rooftop neighborhood i think) but it was a highlight too :)
overall all.... Suzumushi-tera is recommended to those who love to walk around Kyoto, strolling around the neighborhood. And dont forget to grant wishes there. (yes me & husband made some wishes and still hoping to come true)
Written 14 June 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Niels B
Rotterdam9 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2016 • Couples
Visiting this temple was one of my highlights in Kyoto. When you get in, there's a lecture on Buddhism and the way of the cricket, which this temple is known for. It is only in Japanese, but I was still captivated by the way the monk delivered the story. Quite off the beaten path, they don't seem to get many foreigners, but it was definitely worth the visit. The garden outside is also a little gem.
Written 25 May 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kinaishoku
Osaka, Japan67 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2014
We visited this temple weekdays.
But still it was crowded.
Because there were many visitors, our worship was totally like the assembly line.
Of course it was not an atmosphere to appreciate the sound of the bell crickets relaxedly.
In addition, the lecture by a priest was not so good.
I was disappointed a little.
Written 21 May 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Bundtlust
Katori, Japan979 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2013 • Solo
A Japanese coworker had recommended Suzumushi-tera to me.This Kegon sect temple was founded in the Edo period (1723). The name 'Suzumushi' comes from the thousands of crickets that have been trained to sing year-round.

I had a hard time finding Suzumushi-tera; I wandered around in circles for nearly and hour and had to ask for directions in my (broken) Japanese before I finally stumbled upon it (signage was not as helpful / clear as other areas I'd visited in Arashiyama). Part of my problem was that I took the Hankyu line to the right station, but instead of catching the bus to the Kokedera stop (which is only a short walk from Suzumushi-dera), I went on foot, which I don't recommend as there is virtually no signage to the temples that I could find.

If you choose to pay the entrance fee to enter the temple, you are seated in a room lined with cricket cages and served tea and a Japanese sweet, and one of the priests gives a lively lecture about the history of the temple and the story of how the crickets were trained. It is said a former priest that had a passion for crickets and wanted to share the crickets with others because they represent Buddhist values, so he trained them to sing constantly. Conveniently enough, the priest mentions a good luck charm that is sold at the temple (a common practice). One thing you will notice is the inside of the temple (particularly where the crickets are kept) is very warm for the benefit of the insects, so you may want to skip this in summer (or if you don't speak Japanese; you can view the gardens for free). Because the priests give lectures at set times, you cannot just wander around but must wait to enter the hall at a set time. Also, seating continues until the room is full, so you may find it very crowded depending on the time of your visit (Golden Week, etc., when the wait can be 2-3 hours to enter the temple). The lecutre lasts about 30 minutes.

The monk/priest who took my money tried surprisingly hard (in English) to discourage me from paying the entrance fee; he said several times that the lecture was in Japanese only (which was fine with me; although I don't speak Japanese fluently, I was curious to see the inside, and I never pass up a chance for green tea and Japanese sweets!). I found his attitude surprising; I have visited dozens of temples and shrines across Japan, and have generally found most monks and priests to be very welcoming. Other than the crickets, there really wasn't much to see that was open to the public other than a small shop selling good luck charms and other souvenirs.There is a famous jizo statue, Kofuku-Jizo Bosatsu,in the garden that is said to grant wishes (yes, I made my wish - still waiting to see if it comes true!).

Other than the draw of the crickets and the beautiful gardens, I don't know if I'd go out of my way to visit Suzumushi-tera, but if you are already in the vicinity visiting Kokedera (Moss Temple), then you may want to pay the gardens a visit (or ask the jizo to grant a wish!). You will definitely get a lot more out of the experience if you are fluent in Japanese or are traveling with someone who is, as there is no explanation or signage in English. I suppose Suzumushi-tera is on par with many of the other smaller temples than line the hillsides of Arashiyama, but I found it to be one of the more underwhelming temples I visited in Kyoto.
Written 8 January 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Suzumushi Temple, Kyoto

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  • Sun - Sat 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM


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