Chishakuin Chisan Momiji Tsuki Opens Nov 7: ¥1,500, Bamboo Lights, EX Priority Tickets and Free Shuttle

Chisan Momiji Tsuki (智山紅葉月 / Chisan Autumn Leaves Light-up) opens at Chishakuin in Kyoto's Higashiyama ward from Saturday, November 7 through Sunday, December 6, 2026. Evenings run 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. (last entry 8:40 p.m.). Adult admission is ¥1,500. If you are in Kyoto for autumn leaves at night, here is what the organizers have published — and what they have not.

DOJI is an independent travel publication. We have no business relationship with Chishakuin, Blayn, JR Central (JR Tokai), or EX Tabisaki Yoyaku, and this guide is not endorsed by them. Dates, hours and prices below come from the event's official site and a JR Central press release on PR TIMES, checked on November 5, 2026 (Eastern time). Times are Japan time (JST). Japan is 14 hours ahead of Eastern time in winter. Event details can change, so check the official site again before you go.

The short version

• When: November 7 – December 6, 2026 · 5:00–9:00 p.m. · last entry 8:40 p.m.
• Where: Sozan Chishakuin (総本山智積院), Higashiyama, Kyoto.
• Price: Adult ¥1,500 (tax included). The official event site says visitors age 12 and under enter at no charge. The JR Central press release instead says elementary-school students and younger. We follow the event site wording here; confirm at the gate if your child is around that age.
• What you see: Autumn maple lighting, about 3,000 bamboo lights, and mist that creates a “cloud sea” along the approach and near the bell tower. The same creative team staged Arashiyama's Bamboo Light-up and Toji's Moon Corridor.
• Tickets: Same-day tickets at the on-site booth (in front of Chishakuin Hall) from 5:00 p.m., with sales listed until 8:30 p.m. Priority entry tickets are also sold through JR Central's EX Tabisaki Yoyaku (EX Express / SmartEX membership required). We name that seller only because the organizers do; we do not link to it.
• Shuttle: On Saturdays, Sundays and holidays during the run, a no-charge shuttle links JR Kyoto Station's Hachijo exit sightseeing-bus bay (in front of Avanti) and Chishakuin. Check the day's timetable on the official site.

Hours, place and price

The organizers say there is no disability discount. Weather changes leaf color; the press release notes that photos are illustrative and that content can change.

Tickets: gate sales and EX priority

Same-day tickets are sold at the on-site ticket booth in front of Chishakuin Hall every evening from 5:00 p.m. The official site lists sales until 8:30 p.m., with last entry at 8:40 p.m.

Priority entry (skip the same-day queue for a dedicated entrance) is sold through JR Central's EX Tabisaki Yoyaku. The press release says you need an EX Express Reservation or SmartEX membership to buy, that sales may end when the planned allotment sells out, and that you may still wait if the grounds are crowded. We did not open that booking flow, and we do not link to it. If you cannot use EX, plan on the gate booth.

Premium seat (planned from November 14)

The press release also lists a premium-seat priority ticket with food, planned from Saturday, November 14:

Treat the start date, menu and seat details as planned, not final, until the official site confirms them closer to the date.

Getting there

• Keihan Railway Shijo Station: about a 10-minute walk.
• City bus “Higashiyama-Shichijo”: about a 3-minute walk from the stop (about 20 minutes from Kyoto Station by bus and walk).
• Weekend/holiday shuttle: JR Kyoto Station Hachijo exit, sightseeing-bus bay in front of Avanti → Chishakuin. Exact departure times are not restated in the press release text we used; check the official site on the day you go.
• Organizers ask visitors to use public transport.

What we could not confirm

• The exact shuttle timetable for each Saturday, Sunday and holiday.
• Whether EX Tabisaki Yoyaku accepts every overseas card, or whether the flow has an English checkout — we did not test a purchase.
• The final premium-seat menu and whether the November 14 start holds.
• How busy individual evenings will be, or whether same-day tickets sell out early.
• Any later change to hours, price or the child-age rule.

Checklist

• [ ] Your date falls between November 7 and December 6, 2026.
• [ ] You can reach Higashiyama by about 4:45–5:00 p.m. if you want the opening hour.
• [ ] You either plan to buy at the gate booth or already have an EX Express / SmartEX account for priority tickets.
• [ ] On a weekend or holiday, you have checked the shuttle timetable on the official site.
• [ ] You re-check blayn.jp/chisan the day before you go.

Visiting Kyoto at peak autumn? Read Kyoto's published Touristship etiquette rules for visitors before you walk Higashiyama at night.

Planning a Kyoto autumn evening from Canada? Join DOJI.

Sources

• Chisan Momiji Tsuki official event site (Blayn): dates, hours, last entry, venue, adult ¥1,500, ages 12 and under, on-site ticket booth hours, access, organizer. Checked 2026-11-05.
• JR Central press release on PR TIMES (2026-11-04): event overview, ~3,000 bamboo lights and mist, EX Tabisaki Yoyaku priority tickets, premium seat planned from Nov 14 (¥6,500), free weekend/holiday shuttle from Kyoto Station Hachijo. Checked 2026-11-05.

Cover photo: a Kyoto temple with red autumn maples in daylight (not Chishakuin's 2026 night light-up). Photo by Diana Lisunova via Unsplash.