Travel in Nagano
Zenkoji
Zenkoji · Zenkoji Temple · 善光寺
Follow Nakamise into Zenkoji’s grounds and main hall. Inside are the inner sanctuary and dark underground Okaidan passage. Choose their worship ticket for an interior visit beyond walking the grounds.
Zenkoji: seasonal inner-sanctuary hours and 28 December exception Sources and dates checked Sources and dates checked
Visitor information at a glance
Address
長野県長野市大字長野元善町491-イ
491-i Nagano-Motoyoshicho, Nagano City, Nagano, Japan 380-0851
View location on the map →Admission
The grounds and outer sanctuary are free. The ticket for the inner sanctuary, Okaidan and history museum costs JPY 800 for adults and university students, JPY 300 for junior and senior high school students in grades 7–12, and JPY 100 for primary school children in grades 1–6; preschool children enter free. Coverage differs from the general JPY 1,500 set ticket. Check included areas for upper Sanmon as well.
Opening hours and closed days
Visits to the inner sanctuary and Okaidan start one hour before morning prayers and end at 16:30 April–October, 16:15 in March and November, and 16:00 December–February. Morning prayer times vary by date; the grounds are listed as open all day. Kyozo and the history museum usually open 09:00–16:00.
What can I see at Zenkoji?
Inner sanctuary and dark underground passage
Worship in the inner sanctuary, then explore the dark Okaidan passage. Allow interior visiting time beyond approach and grounds walks.
How to get to Zenkoji
Take a Zenkoji-bound bus from Zenkoji Exit stand 1 to Zenkoji Daimon, then walk about five minutes to the main hall. The temple’s roughly 15-minute bus estimate excludes waits and walking.
Before you visit
Check coverage for the upper Sanmon floor
Grounds and outer main-hall sanctuary are free; inner sanctuary/Okaidan and upper Sanmon visits are paid. Do not assume the inner-sanctuary ticket includes Sanmon. Choose coverage for your intended areas.
28 December inner-sanctuary hours and Kyozo access
On 28 December each year, inner-sanctuary visiting ends with morning prayers. A notice suspends Kyozo scripture-store visiting for inspections of the ageing building. Check official notices if planning that visit.
Questions about Zenkoji
Does the main-hall worship ticket include upper Sanmon?
Inner-sanctuary/Okaidan and upper Sanmon tickets differ. For both, check each ticket’s areas, including set-ticket coverage.
Sources and dates checked
- Zenkoji: seasonal inner-sanctuary hours and 28 December exception ·
- Sources and dates checked ·
- Sources and dates checked ·
- Sources and dates checked ·
- Sources and dates checked ·
- Sources and dates checked ·
- Zenkoji: visitor guide ·
- Zenkoji: directions ·
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