Gio-ji Temple

Gio-ji Temple

Gioji Temple is a very small temple with a lovely moss garden and tall maple trees. Like Ryoanji Temple, it gives you a feeling of being at peace; of being connected to nature. I remember my friend is somewhat disappointed because the temple was so small and wasn't visit-worthy for him. The main hall of Gioji was equally small and is incomparable to those of Kiyomizu-dera and Tenryu-ji Temple. I guess I'm just interested with anything abstract or something different because I find this temple magical.

Moss garden and maple trees.

The secret of enjoying this temple is to just watch the garden: study the trees and the moss garden. Notice the different shades of green and how this adds beauty to garden.

Path going to the entrance.

Entrance of the temple.

How to get there:

It's a 15-minute walk from Adashino Nenbutsuji Temple.

Opening hours and fees:

Opening hours: 0900H-1700H

Fees: Adults: 300 Yen
Children: 100 Yen

Map: Arashiyama Map


goodnight - donna

Adashino Nenbutsuji Temple

Adashino Nenbutsuji Temple

We were supposed to visit the Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple but we got lost again. Otagi Nenbutsuji temple lies at the top of Arashiyama, at the last stop of the bus, while Adashino Nenbutsuji temple lies before Otagidera. Well there’s no one to ask because there were no other crowd – just us.

Adashino Nenbutsuji

Adashino Nenbutsuji Temple is nothing like the other temples we visited. It was a burial ground during the ancient times, Heaian (793-1183) to the Edo (1615-1868) period. Although it’s literally a cemetery, it had the beauty and serenity of a Zen garden. The Buddha stones laid in the temple were neatly arranged and it looks more of a garden with a lot of statues and not a burial ground. 

Main entrance.

Burial stones at the entrance of the temple.

The temple was said to have been founded by Kukai (774-835) who placed memorial stones for the dead buried in the area during the 9^th century.  Later in the 12^th century it was called Nenbutsuji where the teaching of Amida Buddha is practiced. 

The main building of the temple was built in 1712 which houses the statue of Amida Buddha by Tankei (1183-1392). About eight thousand Buddha stones are laid in the temple. During the ancient times gravestones are only made for the upper class of the society and only a few commoners. 

At the temple is another bamboo path, smaller compared to the bamboo forest but nonetheless charming.

The bamboo path is connected to another burial ground.

On the evenings of August 23 and 24 around 1000 candles are lighted in honor of the souls of the ancestors. 

How to get there:

For Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple

-Take City Bus C6 at the bus terminal outside Kyoto Station. 

-Tell the bus driver you're getting off at "Otagidera Mae". Kyoto bus drivers are polite so I guess you won't have a problem.  It'll take around one hour to get there.

-Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple is just a couple of steps away from the last bus stop.
-Adashino Nenbutsuji Temple is a 5-minute walk from Otagi.

Bus schedules as of February 2015.

The gate of the Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple.

I told you, there were no other people around. Just cars.

 To help you with here's a map we got from a store owner near Otagi Nenbutsuji.

 Opening hours and fees:

Opening hours: 0900H-1630H (March to November)

0900H-1530H (December to February)

Fees: 500 Yen

**No photographing of the stones of Buddha. 

Goodnight! - donna