Kawasaki Daishi: A Guide to the Temple near Haneda Airport

Kawasaki Daishi at a Glance

Kawasaki Daishi, officially Heikenji Temple, is one of the great temples of the Tokyo area and the easiest one to reach from Haneda Airport. People come from all over Japan to pray here for protection from misfortune (yakuyoke), especially in the "unlucky" years of life.

It is a working temple with fire ceremonies every day, and entry to the grounds is free.

• Where. 4-48 Daishi-machi, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki, between Tokyo and Yokohama.
• Nearest station. Kawasaki-Daishi Station on the Keikyu Daishi Line, then an 8-minute walk.
• Entry. Free. Personal prayers in the goma ceremony start at ¥5,000.
• Time needed. About 1.5 hours with the Nakamise street, 2 hours if you join a ceremony.

History of the Temple of Kobo Daishi

Kawasaki Daishi was founded in 1128. The temple's story tells of Hirama Kanenori, a fisherman who had been exiled from his home province on a false charge.

In his 42nd year, an unlucky age in Japan, a priest appeared in his dream and told him to cast his net into the sea. He pulled up a wooden statue of Kobo Daishi (Kukai), the founder of Shingon Buddhism, and cared for it in a small hut.

With the monk Sonken from Mount Koya, he founded a temple named Heikenji after his own family name. His misfortune lifted, and he was later cleared and allowed to go home.

That is why the temple's main image is called the Yakuyoke Kobo Daishi, the Kobo Daishi who wards off misfortune. In the Edo period the 11th shogun, Tokugawa Ienari, came here to pray in his unlucky year, and the temple's fame spread.

Kawasaki Daishi belongs to the Chisan school of Shingon Buddhism. Together with Naritasan Shinshoji in Narita and Yakuoin on Mt. Takao, it is one of the school's three great head temples near Tokyo.

Most of the buildings were destroyed in the air raids of April 1945 and rebuilt after the war. Only the Inari-do survived.

How to Get to Kawasaki Daishi

Take the Keikyu Line to Keikyu Kawasaki Station, change to the Keikyu Daishi Line, and get off at Kawasaki-Daishi Station. The temple is an 8-minute walk from there, most of it along the Nakamise shopping street.

From	Train	Change at	Then
Haneda Airport	Keikyu, towards Yokohama	Keikyu Kawasaki	Daishi Line, walk 8 min
Shinagawa	Keikyu Line	Keikyu Kawasaki	Daishi Line, walk 8 min
Yokohama	Keikyu Line	Keikyu Kawasaki	Daishi Line, walk 8 min
JR Kawasaki Station	Rinko bus 23 (east exit, stop 7)	None	Get off at Daishi, walk 8 min

• From Haneda. The temple suggests a Keikyu Airport Express towards Yokohama.
• From central Tokyo on JR. Change to the Keikyu Line at Shinagawa, or ride JR to Kawasaki and walk to Keikyu Kawasaki Station next door.
• By car. The temple's car park is next to its Traffic Safety Prayer Hall, and you walk from there.

Pay with an IC card such as Suica or PASMO. On Keikyu, children paying by contactless credit card are charged the adult fare, so give each child aged 6 or over a child IC card.

Opening Hours and Goma Times

The grounds are open all day, but the Great Main Hall has set hours. From 1 February to 30 December, the hours are as follows.

• October to March. 6:00 to 17:30 (from 5:30 on the 21st of each month)
• April to September. 5:30 to 18:00
• The 20th of every month. Open until 21:00, with an evening goma at 19:00

The goma fire ceremony takes place every day in the Great Main Hall.

Day	Morning	Daytime
Monday to Saturday	6:30 (6:00 April to September)	9:00, 10:30, 11:30, 13:00, 14:30, 15:30
Sunday	6:30 (6:00 April to September)	9:00, 10:30, 11:30, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00
The 21st of each month	6:00	9:00, 10:30, 11:30, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00

Times change for events and for the New Year, so check the temple's schedule. To have a prayer said for your family, apply at the goma office to the right of the Great Main Hall 10 to 15 minutes before a ceremony. Offerings start at ¥5,000.

What to See in the Grounds

The grounds are compact and flat, and you can see the main buildings in under an hour. Enter through the great gate from the Nakamise side and walk straight ahead to the Great Main Hall.

The Great Gate (Daisanmon)

The two-storey Daisanmon gate is the main entrance from the Nakamise street. The gate that stood here before the war was known for its carvings.

The present one was rebuilt after 1945, and the original plans are kept on its upper floor.

The Great Main Hall

The Great Main Hall (Daihondo) enshrines the Yakuyoke Kobo Daishi, and the goma ceremony is held here many times a day. Anyone can go in and sit at the back to watch.

In front of the hall, a large incense burner sends up smoke that worshippers wave over themselves.

The Octagonal Five-Storied Pagoda

The Octagonal Five-Storied Pagoda is the most unusual building in the grounds. Most Japanese pagodas are square, but this one has eight sides. It is the photo most families take home.

Fudo-do and the Smaller Halls

The Fudo-do hall, dedicated to Fudo Myoo, was rebuilt with the Great Main Hall after the war. Around the grounds are smaller halls, stone monuments and memorials, among them the Inari-do, the only building that survived the 1945 air raids, and a mound for retired tea whisks, raised for the 400th anniversary of the tea master Sen no Rikyu.

How to Pray at a Buddhist Temple

Praying at Kawasaki Daishi follows the usual Buddhist order. Bow at the gate, wave a little incense smoke over yourself at the burner in front of the Great Main Hall, then climb the steps to pray.

1. Offer a coin in the box in front of the hall.
2. Put your hands together and pray quietly. Do not clap. Clapping is for Shinto shrines.
3. Bow once more before you step back.

Speak quietly inside the hall, take off hats, and follow the signs on photography. Never photograph people during a ceremony. Charms (omamori) and goma tablets are sold at the temple's counters.

For the different kinds of charms and what they are for, see our guide to New Year temple and shrine visits.

Sweets and Souvenirs on the Nakamise Street

The walk from Kawasaki-Daishi Station leads along the Nakamise, a short street of sweet shops and souvenir stalls in front of the gate. It is the part of the visit most children remember.

• Tontoko ame. Hard candy made by hand in the shopfront. The sellers chop the candy with knives in a rhythm that you can hear all along the street.
• Kuzumochi. Kawasaki Daishi's local sweet, made from fermented wheat starch rather than kudzu root. It is soft and pale, served with kinako (roasted soy flour) and dark brown sugar syrup.
• Daruma dolls and charms. Red daruma for good luck are sold all along the street.

Kuzumochi keeps only a day or two, so eat it on the spot or buy a small box for the hotel.

Events Through the Year

The busiest days are 1 to 3 January, when Kawasaki Daishi is one of the most visited temples in Japan for hatsumode, the first prayer of the year. The grounds and the streets around them fill with people, and the Great Main Hall has special hours.

If you want to see the New Year atmosphere without the crush, come early in the morning or after 4 January.

• The 21st of each month. The monthly day of Kobo Daishi, with longer hours and more ceremonies.
• Wind Chime Market in July. Thousands of wind chimes from all over Japan hang in the grounds. In 2026 it ran from 17 to 21 July, 10:00 to 17:00.
• Shichi-Go-San in November. Families bring children aged three, five and seven, many in kimono, to pray for their health.

Weekday mornings are the quietest time all year.

Visiting Kawasaki Daishi with Children

The temple is an easy outing with children. The walk from the station is short and flat, the Nakamise gives them something to look at, and the grounds are small enough to see before anyone gets tired.

The steps up to the Great Main Hall are the only real climb.

• Strollers. The street and the grounds are flat and paved. Fold the stroller at the hall steps, or let one adult wait outside.
• Something to do. Let children watch the tontoko ame being chopped, wave the incense smoke, and count the eight sides of the pagoda.
• Food. The Nakamise and the streets near the station have noodle shops and cafés.
• Timing. Go on a weekday morning, when the street and the hall are at their quietest.

Combining Kawasaki Daishi with Haneda

Because it is on the Keikyu Line between Haneda and Yokohama, Kawasaki Daishi fits well on the day you land or the day you fly home. Our Haneda Airport guide covers the trains, the limousine bus and the terminals.

With a late flight, you can see the temple in the morning and still reach Haneda in half an hour. Leave suitcases in the airport's storage or at your hotel.

Kawasaki Daishi also pairs with a day in Yokohama, a few stops farther down the Keikyu Line. See our Yokohama day trip guide. If you would like a day planned around the children, our custom private tours cover Tokyo, Yokohama, Kamakura and Hakone.

For longer trips out of the city, start with our Mt. Fuji day trip from Tokyo and the Hakone travel guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get to Kawasaki Daishi from Haneda Airport?

Take a Keikyu train towards Yokohama to Keikyu Kawasaki Station, change to the Keikyu Daishi Line, and get off at Kawasaki-Daishi Station. The temple is an 8-minute walk.

Is Kawasaki Daishi free to enter?

Yes. The grounds and the Great Main Hall are free. If you want a personal prayer read during the goma fire ceremony, offerings start at ¥5,000.

What time does Kawasaki Daishi open?

The Great Main Hall opens 6:00 to 17:30 from October to March and 5:30 to 18:00 from April to September. On the 20th of each month it stays open until 21:00. New Year hours differ.

What is Kawasaki Daishi famous for?

It is known for prayers for protection from misfortune, especially in the unlucky years of life. It is also one of Japan's busiest temples at New Year, and its Nakamise street is known for kuzumochi and tontoko ame candy.

How long do you need at Kawasaki Daishi?

Allow about 1.5 hours, including the walk along the Nakamise street, or 2 hours if you want to sit in on a goma fire ceremony.

Is Kawasaki Daishi good for children?

Yes. The walk from the station is short and flat, children enjoy the candy makers and the eight-sided pagoda, and the grounds are small enough to see in an hour.

Sources

https://www.kawasakidaishi.com/english/
https://www.kawasakidaishi.com/access/
https://www.kawasakidaishi.com/about/
https://www.kawasakidaishi.com/yakuyoke/
https://www.kawasakidaishi.com/map/
https://www.kawasakidaishi.com/event/jul/
https://www.keikyu.co.jp/ride/ticket/