Basic Information
Address:京都府京都市東山区林下町400Phone:075-541-5141Hours:9：00-16：00Fee:境内は自由、方丈庭園400円友禅苑300円共通500円(中学生以下は半額）Access:京都市東山区新橋通（市バス12,31,46,201,203,206 番「知恩院前」下車すぐ。）Website:
Description
Said to have begun in 1175 when the monk Honen established a small hermitage here. It's a massive temple complex with 106 buildings of various sizes scattered across the grounds.
The precinct is divided into three tiers — upper, middle, and lower. The Sanmon Gate (Important Cultural Property) standing at the entrance is the largest temple gate in Japan. The centerpiece of the grounds is the Miei-do (Founder's Hall, also an Important Cultural Property), which enshrines a statue of Honen.
The temple's New Year's Eve bell-ringing is also famous.