Hōkan Temple

The defining landmark of Kyoto's Higashiyama district — the five-storey, 46-metre Yasaka Pagoda from the 7th century shapes the skyline of the ancient imperial city like nothing else.

The Yasaka Pagoda is the defining landmark of Kyoto's Higashiyama district and one of the most recognisable structures in the ancient imperial city. The five-storey pagoda, standing 46 metres tall, dates back to the seventh century and is the last surviving building of the Hōkan-ji temple complex, said to have been founded by Prince Shōtoku. Destroyed repeatedly by earthquakes and fires over the centuries, it was last rebuilt in 1440 under Shogun Ashikaga Yoshinori using earthquake-resistant techniques — a remarkable feat of Muromachi-period engineering. Wandering through the narrow cobblestone lanes of Higashiyama, you encounter the pagoda's unmistakable silhouette at almost every turn — an image that defines Kyoto like no other.