Kiyomizu-dera and Higashiyama with Chiikawa plushies: 4 photo spots on the autumn slopes
Opening hours, fees and access checked on official sites on Nov 9, 2026.
This is episode 3 of Chiifan’s X series of Chiikawa plushies traveling around Japan’s autumn-leaf spots. From Kiyomizu-dera down to the Yasaka Pagoda, the spots are linked by stone steps and paved slopes, so you can walk them with your plushies. This time the three wear knit scarves and ride in plushie bags on the slopes. Here are the four spots in walking order, with how to shoot each one without dropping your plushie.
The plushie images on this page are AI-generated travel scenes that Chiifan made with San-Arrow’s product photos of the “Potetama” plushies as a reference. They are not photos taken at the places and may differ from how the places really look. © nagano / chiikawa committee
- Area
- Higashiyama, Kyoto (Kiyomizu-dera, Ninenzaka, Yasaka Pagoda)
- Kiyomizu-dera
- Opens at 6:00. Autumn night viewing Nov 21–30, 2026 (from 17:30)
- Autumn leaves
- Usually mid- to late November (tenki.jp: late November to early December)
- Rule to know
- No tripods, monopods or drones inside Kiyomizu-dera
Kiyomizu Stage: from the front, and from behind
Below the stage is a cliff, and anything you drop is gone. Keep your plushies on the floorboards inside the railing, never on top of it.
- From the front, look for an angle that puts the autumn valley and the Kyoto skyline behind them.
- With all three, try a shot from behind: sit them on a small cushion and shoot from diagonally behind at their head height. They look like they are watching the view together, and you still catch a bit of their cheeks.
- People keep moving on the stage, so take a few shots and make room quickly.
- Inside Kiyomizu-dera you can’t use tripods, monopods or drones. Hold your plushie or set it on a flat spot, and hold your phone in your hand.
- Getting there: Kiyomizu-dera opens at 6:00. From Kyoto Station, take city bus 206 or 100 to “Gojo-zaka”, then walk 10 minutes, or walk about 25 minutes from Kiyomizu-Gojo Station (Keihan Line). The stage is in front of the main hall, on the visitor route.
Ninenzaka: shoot down the stone steps from the top
Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka were among the first districts in Japan chosen as national preservation districts for traditional buildings. On the steps, keep the plushies in a clear pouch instead of setting them on the ground.
- Shooting from the top of the slope with the steps and tiled roofs behind them is the easy way to get the picture without any risk of dropping them.
- Kyoto City asks visitors not to block the street, walk onto private property, or take photos without permission. Don’t set plushies on shop fronts or doorsteps; stand at the edge of the steps and keep it short.
- Getting there: about 20 minutes on foot from Gion-Shijo Station (Keihan Line). From Kiyomizu-dera, walk down Kiyomizu-zaka and the Sannenzaka steps. Walking the slopes is free.
The Yasaka Pagoda slope: looking up at the pagoda
The Yasaka Pagoda (the five-story pagoda of Hokan-ji) is famous seen from partway up the slope. Shoot from below with the pagoda behind your plushie.
- A shoulder bag with a window lets you get the travel shot without taking the plushie out at all.
- Going inside the pagoda costs a fee, and the opening days are not fixed. Looking at it from the slope is free.
- Getting there: Yasaka Koshindo, right below the pagoda, is about 15 minutes on foot from Gion-Shijo Station (Keihan Line), and a short walk from Ninenzaka.
A teahouse bench: a plushie tea party with a mini tea set
For the food shot, lay a handkerchief on the red felt bench, sit the plushies on it, and put a plushie-sized tea set in front of them. Shoot from slightly above to get the felt, the cups and the sweets all in.
- Put the parfait or dango next to the plushies, about a hand’s width away. Matcha and red bean paste stains are hard to wash out, so don’t let the food touch them.
- Inside a shop, ask the staff first whether you can take photos, and keep other customers out of the frame.
- Where: shops serving matcha sweets line Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka. Pick one with free seats on your way down.
Autumn leaves and night viewing at Kiyomizu-dera (Nov 21–30, 2026)
Kyoto’s official tourism site says the leaves at Kiyomizu-dera usually peak from mid- to late November; tenki.jp says late November to early December. As of Nov 9 tenki.jp still showed green leaves, so check the latest report just before you go.
- Nov 1–20
- 6:00–18:00
- Nov 21–30
- 6:00–21:30 (last entry 21:00). Night viewing from 17:30
- Night viewing
- No reservation needed. Adults ¥500, elementary and junior high school students ¥200
- Jojuin Garden (special opening)
- Nov 21–30. Adults ¥600, elementary and junior high school students ¥300
- It opens at 6:00, so early morning, before the crowds, is the calmest time for plushie photos.
- At night it is easy to drop a plushie in the dark. Only shoot in front of the lit gate or on the inside of the railings on the steps, with your phone in your hand.
Getting there from Kyoto Station, and where to stay
City buses 206 and 100 run from Kyoto Station to Kiyomizu-dera, but buses to Gojo-zaka get crowded in autumn. Kyoto City’s tourism association recommends combining the train and walking.
- Keihan Line
- Kiyomizu-Gojo Station → Kiyomizu-dera about 25 min on foot. Gion-Shijo Station → Ninenzaka about 20 min on foot
- JR + Keihan
- JR Nara Line to Tofukuji, change to the Keihan Line, about 5 min to Kiyomizu-Gojo
- City bus
- Routes 206 and 100 to “Gojo-zaka”, then 10 min on foot. Adults ¥230, children ¥120
- To shoot Kiyomizu-dera at 6:00
- Stay in Gion or Higashiyama
- To see more of Kyoto
- Stay around Kyoto Station
- If you visit the pagoda and Ninenzaka first, start walking from Gion-Shijo Station and head up the slopes to Kiyomizu-dera. On the way back you can walk down past Yasaka Shrine and Hanamikoji to Shijo-Kawaramachi.
- From Kansai Airport, the JR limited express Haruka runs to Kyoto Station with no transfer. If you stay in Osaka, the Keihan Line goes straight to Gion-Shijo and Kiyomizu-Gojo.
- If the slopes are hard going, Ebisuya Kyoto Higashiyama runs rickshaw rides from ¥5,000 for 2 people for 12 minutes.
The plushies in the series: Potetama Chiikawa, Hachiware and Usagi
The plushies in the images are San-Arrow’s “Potetama” (ぽてたまぬいぐるみ) Chiikawa, Hachiware and Usagi. The three are about 13–17 cm tall, so clothes and bags for 15 cm plushies fit them.
- Knit scarf
- A scarf for 15–20 cm plushies (8 colors with heart embroidery). It only wraps around the neck, so it fits most body shapes
- Clear mini tote pouch
- A wide pouch that holds two or three 15–20 cm plushies side by side, with a zip on top. You can take pictures without taking them out
- Shoulder bag with a window
- About 22 × 16 × 8.5 cm, with a clear front window and a cover sheet. For 15 cm and 20 cm plushies; strap 70–130 cm
- Miniature tea set
- A tray (about 6 × 4 cm), a teapot (about 3.5 cm wide) and four cups (about 1.5 cm). It is ceramic, so carry it in a small box
- The clothes and bags we used come from Japanese online shops on Rakuten, and many of those shops only ship within Japan, so we don’t link to them here. Use the sizes below when you look for similar items.
- Plush bodies differ in how firmly they are stuffed, so treat any size on a product page as a guide.
Chiikawa shops to visit after Kiyomizu-dera
Walk down from Kiyomizu-dera past Yasaka Shrine and Hanamikoji to Shijo-Kawaramachi, and you can stop at Chiikawa Land Kyoto Shijo-Kawaramachi. Chiikawa Baby Castella Kyoto Nishiki is scheduled to open in Nishiki Market on Nov 18, 2026.
Plan the trip: tours, kimono rental and travel essentials (KKday)
Tours, kimono rental and travel essentials you can book on KKday for a trip with your plushies. Check the price, what is included and the cancellation rules on each KKday page before you pay.
Kyoto kimono rental (Okamoto, Kiyomizu store)
A kimono shop in Higashiyama near Kiyomizu-dera, handy for the slopes walk
JR Haruka Kansai Airport express ticket
Kansai Airport ⇄ Osaka / Kyoto (JR)
Japan eSIM, unlimited data
For maps and showing QR tickets on your phone. Check that your phone supports eSIM
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a tripod for plushie photos at Kiyomizu-dera?
No. Tripods, monopods and drones can’t be used inside Kiyomizu-dera. Hold the plushie or set it on a flat spot, and shoot handheld.
When is the 2026 autumn night viewing at Kiyomizu-dera?
Nov 21–30, 2026, from 17:30 (last entry 21:00, closing 21:30). No reservation needed; adults ¥500.
Are the plushie pictures real photos?
No. They are AI-generated scenes from Chiifan’s X series, made with the official product photos as a reference.
Sources
Pages marked (Japanese) are only available in Japanese.