Jojakkoji Temple in Kyoto

Jojakkoji Temple in Kyoto

If you walk to the north from the "Bamboo Forest Path", you will arrive at Jojakkoji Temple.

Please refer the page of "Sagano Area" in Kyoto:
http://handejapan19.html.xdomain.jp/TravelDestinations/Kansai/Sagano_E.html

Jojakkoji Temple is located at the foot of Mt. Ogura. Jojakkoji Temple belongs to the Nichiren Sect and it was founded in 1596 by Saint Nisshin (1561 - 1617). Jojakkoji Temple is a small temple, but it is very well-known for beautiful Autumn leaves.

The best season for the beautiful Autumn leaves is at the end of November to the beginning of December. At the main gate of Jojakkoji Temple, the sign says the Autumn leaves are at their best.

The main gate was renovated at the end of the Edo Age (1603 - 1868) .

If you walk to the west from the main gate, you will see the Deva Gate. The Deva gate was originally built as the south gate of Honkokuji Temple in the middle of the fourteenth century. It was moved to Jojakkoji Temple in 1616.

It is said that the Deva Statues in the gate were made by UNKEI (? - 1224) .

Maple leaves in front of the Deva Gate are very beautiful. Many people stopped in front of the gate and took pictures of beatuful Autumn leaves.

Beyond the Deva Gate, steep stone stairs continue to the Main Hall on a hillside.
The view of the Deva Gate from the middle of stairs is also very impressive and beautiful.

At the end of the stairs, the main hall is located. The main hall was originally built in the late sixteenth century as the castle building of Fushimi Castle.

There is small flat land around the main hall on a hillside. The flat land commands a panoramic view of downtown Kyoto. Beyond downtown Kyoto, you will see Mt. Hiei.

Not only Autumn leaves, but the precincts of Jojakkoji Temple are also very beautiful and impressive.

If you go up the hill behind the main hall, you will see the pagoda. The pagoda was built in 1620. It has good proportioned style. The pagoda is designated as an important property of Japan,

After coming back to the foot of Mt. Ogura from the pagoda, you will see a stone monument to the north of the Deva Gate.

This statue says there used to the mountain villa of FUJIWARA-no Teika (1162-1241) , who was a poets in the Kamakura Age (1185 - 1333) . It is well-known that FUJIWARA-no Teika was a selector of the "Ogura Anthology of One Hundred Japanese poems "Waka" by One Hundred Poets". He made the anthology, while he stayed at this mountain villa.

Before leaving from Jojakkoji Temple, I again enjoyed seeing Autumn leaves at the Deva gate.

How to get there
From Kyoto Station, take a JR Sagano Line to Saga-Arashiyama. From downtown Kyoto, take a Randen train, the Arashiyama Main Line of Keifuku Railway to Arashiyama. From these stations, it will take you fifteen to twenty minutes to Jojakkoji on foot.

Official English site:
https://jojakko-ji.or.jp/about/

Other Historical Sites near by:
Tenryuji Temple
Sagano Area
Gioji Temple
Saga-Toriimoto
Adashino Area