#both at the Azalea and at the townhouse

[emilysn2019-blog]

Kōmyō-in is a sub-temple of Tofuku-ji located near Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto, Japan. It’s a hidden gem best known for its traditional Chinese dry landscape garden. In this post, we’ll share further thoughts, tips, photos, and anecdotes from Komyoin Temple.

While Komyoin ranks as on our list of the Top 100 Temples & Shrines in Kyoto, Japan, that’s our attempt at objectivity and represents a “conservative” number. At the same time, Komyoin Temple makes our 1-Day Brickers’ Perfect Kyoto, Japan Itinerary of things we’d do with only a single day in the city. It’s so far under-the-radar that you’re unlikely to see anyone else here when you visit, and it’s such a hidden gem that you might literally have difficulty finding it, as the temple blends in with other structures from the street.

To give some context, Komyoin Temple currently has 62 reviews on TripAdvisor with a 4.5 rating and 132 reviews on Google with a 4.6 rating. Both of those scores are very good, even by temple standards, but that’s not the point. The low number of reviews is the key here. Compare those with Kiyomizudera, which has 14,000 Google reviews, or nearby Fushimi Inari, which has 20,000. Pretty stark contrast!

Our first visit to Komyoin Temple solidified its position as one of Kyoto’s truly magical experiences. We started with an early morning at Fushimi Inari Shrine, setting out for our favorite spot in Kyoto right around sunrise. That visit entailed heading up the Senbon Torii path like normal, until arriving at the Yotsusuji Crossroads, which is the popular viewpoint before the Summit Loop Trail.

We then found the trailhead for the Higashiyama Course of Kyoto Isshu Circuit Trail, which leads down to Tofukuji. We took that path down through a series of interesting sub-shrines, including separate ones featuring horses, mossy foxes, and serpentines.

This dumped us out right near Komyoin, where our “adventure” continued. If you’re interested in this hike, our Hiking Kyoto Trail: Fushimi Inari Shrine to Tofukuji Temple post covers everything you need to know, and the steps for taking this easy route. It’s a great experience that we highly recommend.

Komyoin Temple was practically right in front of us at this point, but it did take us a couple of passes by to “discover” it. For what it’s worth, the Google Maps location is accurate, and Komyoin Temple does more closely resemble a traditional Japanese machiya townhouse than it does a temple.

Upon arriving at the entrance to the temple, we encountered no one. Literally. Apparently, Komyoin Temple is so unpopular (I really hate using that term, as the review consensus is that those who visit love it) that they can’t justify the cost of staffing it.

Instead, the entry fee is paid into a bamboo slot via the honor system. Only in Japan. 

Inside, there are a series of interconnected rooms, each of which offers a different perspective into the karesansui, or dry landscape garden for which Komyoin Temple is known.

These rooms are all simple and straightforward, and exist to highlight the garden. There’s also a teahouse known as Ragetsu (or “Mossy Moon”) that overlooks the garden.

Komyoin Temple’s dry landscape garden is named Hashin-no-Niwa and consists of rocks, water, moss, pruned trees, shrubs, plus white sand and moss to achieve its design. Hashin-no-Niwa features 3 sets of rocks arranged in circles, and the arrangement of the stones makes them appear to radiate light.

There are satsuki and azaleas that bloom in early summer along with bellflowers, which is said to give Komyoin Temple a kaleidoscope of color. (We’ve yet to see this.) As a result, Hashin-no-Niwa is sometimes informally referred to as the Niji no Kokedera (or “Rainbow Moss Temple”).

The autumn foliage that forms the backdrop of Komyoin Temple is also said to be famous. This would seem to check out. On the interior walls, Komyoin Temple proudly displays some of the ad campaigns featuring the garden, and almost all of them showcase the fall colors.

One is even a nationwide Japan Rail poster, which makes me question how is Komyoin still under the radar?!

Whatever the explanation, we’re glad that tourists don’t flock to Komyoin. For one, the small space couldn’t handle colossal crowds. We love sitting inside, soaking up the serenity and being alone with the mesmerizing Hashin-no-Niwa garden.

You don’t need much time to see everything here (10 minutes would probably do), but we love sitting here. We could do just that (and have) for an hour.

If you don’t access Komyoin Temple via the aforementioned hike, the easiest way to find it is from Tofukuji Station along the JR Keihan Line; it’s a 10 minute walk from there. Other nearby train, subway, and bus routes are also available–just consult Google Maps.

Admission to Komyoin Temple is 0 yen and it’s open from 8 a.m. until sunset.

Ultimately, a big thing that makes Komyoin Temple so special is that it’s usually deserted. The garden itself is stunning, but it wouldn’t be as impactful if it were crammed with people. Accordingly, it’s pretty much a requirement that word doesn’t spread too far and wide about Komyoin.

The upside is that this article is unlikely to ruin anything. There are already a surprising number of blog posts elsewhere about this hidden gem, and those haven’t had an impact. Even many of you who do read this advice imploring you to visit Komyoin Temple are likely to ignore it (no offense taken), as it’s on exactly 0 Kyoto top 10 lists and few other resources recommend it. That’s good news for the few of you who do heed our recommendation…and for us as we make return visits to our newest “must-see” temple in Kyoto.

If you’re planning a trip to Japan that includes Kyoto, we recommend that you start by consulting our Ultimate Guide to Kyoto, Japan to plan all aspects of our vacation. You should also check out our other posts about Japan for ideas on other places to visit! 

Your Thoughts

Have you visited Komyoin Temple? What did you think of the experience? Would you recommend it to a first-timer visiting Japan? Any thoughts or tips of your own to add? Any questions about what we’ve covered here? Does visiting this spot in Kyoto interest you? Hearing about your experiences—even when you disagree with us—is both interesting and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!

The post Komyoin Temple Tips: Kyoto, Japan Info appeared first on Travel Caffeine.

[rokurookajima]

i’m gonna do an olivia and answer all these questions just because

DAISY:  How old were you when you had your first kiss?

depends which one you wanna count as first. first technically, i was 15 but it was an accident. first intentional but not really desired i was 16. first good kiss was when i was 19

CARNATION:  If I handed you a concert ticket right now, who would you want to be the performer?

uh i really don’t ever go to concerts bc im pretty unexciting, but i’ll basic and say honestly lana del rey JASMINE:  What color looks best on you?

black, gray, and army green look good on everybody am i right FOXGLOVE:  Name three facts about your family? uhhh my dad was a theater major in college (this is a very weird and unexpected fact if u know my dad lmao), my mom wanted to be a cop in high school (this is also a very weird and unexpected fact if u know my mom), we’ve always been closer to family friends than my parents actual extended families so i have cool godparents instead of a cool aunt and uncle and god siblings instead of cousins  ALLIUM:  What’s the best thing you can cook?

i can definitely make eggs in various fashions  ORANGE BLOSSOM:  If you could pick the gender and appearance of your child, would you?

i don’t think so, but i also don’t rlly want children so i guess its not something that matters to me theoretically?? CALLA LILY:  If you died right now, what song would you want to play at your funeral?

annabeth will sing in the arms of the angels  POINSETTIA:  Favorite holiday dish?

dude all of it!!! i love thanksgiving food so much, all of it piled on one plate and u just bash on it all together it’s glorious   OXLIP:  Would you ever get into a long distance relationship?

i guess technically both of my relationships were long distance in some ways?? my first bf was a completely online relationship, and my recent ex boyfriend lived an hour away from me (which i didn’t rlly consider long distance bc i drive a lot anyway) but then lived in chicago the last couple months of our relationship for an internship. honestly i wouldn’t do another completely online relationship probably ever, and i wouldn’t want to have another person i date move out of state. but it was rlly no problem when he lived an hour away from me, like it was a little inconvenient but not bad, so i’d be ok with getting into another relationship like that PRIMROSE:  Favorite kind of soup?

i’m rlly not a big fan of soup??? but i like a good tomato bisque sometimes, like the really creamy kind DAFFODIL:  What’s the most thoughtful present you’ve ever received?

hm im not rlly sure...i feel like i’ve received a lot of thoughtful presents, esp from friends. bc like my parents usually get me useful things or things i told them i wanted when they asked?? but friend gifts are usually a lot more personal? which is very cool. so wow this is a copout answer but i feel like all the gifts i’ve gotten from friends are the most thoughtful!! ROSE:  Are you currently in love with someone?

ha wow i wish being in love was the best feeling in the world. but no. and it’ll probably be a while before i am again AMSONIA:  Would you ever become a vegan?

i once had a dream where i told someone that i wanted to be a vegan just because i really love labels, and honestly that said so much about my personality  PEONY:  What’s your favorite hot beverage?

coffee is my blood. i also like hot chai lattes sometimes!

TULIP:  For your birthday, what kind of cake do you ask for?

at my office, they get a dessert for everybody’s birthdays, and i usually ask for pumpkin pie, which is not cake but similar  MYRTLE:  Do you like going on airplanes?

yeah its pretty cool, i like going to airports more than i like going on planes tho i think. i always find those kind of transient places rlly cool, like airports, big highway gas stations, train platforms/subway stations HIBISCUS:  Did you ever play an instrument? If so what?

yeh i took guitar lessons for a rlly long time back in the day, and still play sometimes  ZINNIA:  Who was your best friend when you were six years old?

gabrielle!! and she hasn’t been able to get rid of me yet POPPY:  What color was your childhood home?

like the outside? idk about the apartment we lived in when i was first born, but the first place i remember was a blue townhouse we lived in for a year or two when i was like 3?? HYDRANGEA:  Starbucks order?

depends on the day bc unfortunately i get starbucks way too often bc there’s one in the library at school and thats what i live off of. most of the time i get iced coffee w soy milk. but man i get peppermint mochas whenever they’re offered bc wow those are so good the best seasonal drink VIOLET:  Do you like where you’re from?

yeah i really do. i like ohio a lot as a state, theres a lot of cool cities. the actual city i lived most of my life is a pretty shitty place and i’d never want to be stuck there for the rest of my life. but it wasn’t the worst place to grow up, it had some stuff in it, and its rlly convenient to get to a lot of bigger better cities in a reasonable drive. and theres some small charming things about that city, like the old money houses and places that i like out of nostalgia LOCUST:  What was your favorite book as a child?

i was one of those weird kids who was really obsessed with the warriors series....i loved those dang cats so dang much RHODODENDRON:  What’s the scariest dream you’ve ever had?

i’m not rlly sure..usually when i have scary dreams, they just have a really scary feeling, but not a distinguishable scary reason or plot i guess? like the most terrified i’ve ever felt in a dream was literally like a five second flash of a man standing in front of a fire, licking blood off of his hands, and laughing maniacally?? like i couldn’t tell you why that was so terrifying or what it meant but it was the most fear i’ve ever felt in a dream. i think i was 12??  QUEEN ANNE’S LACE:  Would you rather carve pumpkins or wrap presents?

wow i haven’t carved a pumpkin in so long, so i think that!! MAGNOLIA:  Favorite kind of candy?

i don’t rlly like candy all that much, im much more of a salty person than sweet. but i guess i prefer sour candy to anything else  ASTER:  Would you rather be cold or hot?

cold, cold is always better than being miserably hot wowie MARIGOLD:  Do you listen to what’s on the radio?

nah i plug my phone into an aux chord and listen to my own music library  HELICONIA:  Do you like when it rains?

i love it!!! rainy weather is my favorite. esp like...rainy days in between when its actually raining? like its rlly wet and gray, but the rains taking a break so you can actually go outside. i love that shit  AZALEA:  What’s a movie you cried while watching?

um wow i’ve definitely cried watching a lot of movies but i think the last time a movie like rlly fucked me up and made me cry way too much was inside out.....and tbh idk if i’ll ever watch that movie again its too real DANDELION:  Do you think you’re important?

thats......such a question. like i know its a bad answer but not really. i know i should, but i don’t see a reason to so :/