１，Hounenin
Mid to late November is the best time to visit.
From JR Kyoto Station or Keihan Sanjo Station, take city bus No. 5 bound for Iwakura, get off at Jodo-ji Temple, and walk 10 minutes toward the mountain.
The temple gate is tastefully thatched and built in the sukiya style, and the white sand pavement and the maple trees that spread across the temple grounds are a must-see during the season of fresh green and autumnal leaves.
The temple is also famous for its “camellia garden,” where the “Three Famous Camellias” are planted.
２，Shinnyo-do Hall [Shinsho Kyokugaku-ji Temple]
The best time to visit is from mid-November to early December.
Approx. 30 min. by city bus from JR Kyoto Stn. 8 min. walk from Shinnyodo-mae or kinrin Shako-mae bus stop.
In Shinnyo-do Hall, maple trees grow on both sides of the stone-paved approach, and the three-story pagoda can be seen in the back, as if the temple were located in a forest of maple trees.
The stone pavement leading down from the front of the main hall to the west becomes a tunnel of autumn leaves.
The sight of cherry blossoms, maples, and maple trees turning red and yellow, overlapping with evergreen greenery is breathtaking.
It is said that the most beautiful moment is when the autumn leaves are bathed in the setting sun.
Depending on the climate of the year, the peak of the autumn foliage in the temple grounds is after late November. The area behind the main hall can be enjoyed until early December.
３，Eikando [Zenrinji Temple]
Mid to late November is the best time to visit.
Subway Tozai Line “Keage” stop, approx. 15 min. walk
City Bus “Nanzenji/Eikando-michi” stop, approx. 3 min. walk
Zenrinji Temple is the head temple of the Seizan Zenrinji School of the Jodo sect, located in Eikandocho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto.
The name of the temple is Seishu Raigozan. The main deity is Amida Nyorai.
It is commonly known as Eikando. It is famous for its autumn foliage, and has long been called “Eikando with maple leaves in autumn. It is also one of the three Kangakuin (academy for the study of Buddhism) in Kyoto, and has long been a center of scholarship.
４，Nanzenji Temple
The best time to visit is from mid-November to early December.
10 minutes on foot from Keage Station on the Subway Tozai Line
Nanzenji Temple is characterized by the fact that the entire temple grounds have been designated as a national historic site.
There are many attractions within the temple precincts, including the Hojo, a national treasure, the Sanmon Gate and other important cultural properties, as well as the Hojo Garden, which is a national national scenic beauty.
The temple grounds are also rich in nature, and the way the historical architecture blends into the natural landscape is fantastically beautiful.
The temple is one of the most popular spots in Kyoto, attracting many visitors.
５，Nanzenji Temple Tenjuanan
Mid-November is the best time to visit.
Get off at Keage Station on the Subway Tozai Line and walk 7 minutes to the best time to see the flowers.
First is the garden in front of the main hall, a dry landscape garden with white sand. In the back are rows of maple trees, which are famous for their green maple leaves in spring and red leaves in fall.
One of the most distinctive features of the garden is the stone pavement (* you cannot walk on it), a combination of square and diamond-shaped pavement that runs from the gate on the left to the front of the building.
It is a very modern and cool design that is hard to believe that it is a garden from the Momoyama period to the early Edo period, when the main hall was rebuilt.
According to one theory, this stone pavement was invented by Enshu Kobori, a feudal lord tea master of the same period as Yusai Hosokawa.
A similar cobblestone pavement can be found in the nearby “National Treasure of Gardens,” the Nanzenji Konchiin Garden.
６，Philosopher’s Path
Mid to late November is the best time to visit.
Access from Kyoto Station
Take the Subway Karasuma Line to Imadegawa Station. It takes about 9 minutes to arrive at Imadegawa Station.
Once you arrive at Imadegawa Station, go above ground and take bus 203 bound for Ginkakuji from the bus stop “Karasuma Imadegawa”.
Philosopher’s Path in Kyoto City is a promenade along a waterway fed by Lake Biwa.
It is one of the best sightseeing areas in Kyoto, with many temples and shrines, including Ginkakuji Temple, scattered around the area.
It is also known as a place where one can enjoy the scenery throughout the four seasons, with beautiful cherry blossoms in the spring and autumn leaves in the fall.
７，Murinan
Mid to late November is the best time to visit.
Approximately 7 minutes walk from Keage Station
Murinan was built between 1894 and 1896 as a villa of Aritomo Yamagata, a politician of the Meiji and Taisho eras.
The garden is a masterpiece of modern Japanese garden created by Jihei Ogawa VII based on the instructions of the owner, Aritomo Yamagata.
８，Kurodani Konkai Komyoji Temple
The best time to visit is from mid-November to early December.
Take Subway Karasuma Line, get off at Marutamachi Station (transfer), take City Bus 93 or 204, get off at Okazaki-michi Bus Stop, and walk 10 minutes.
Known as “Kurodani-san,” this temple is the head temple of the Jodo sect of Buddhism.
The temple is where Honen Shonin built his first hermitage, and where Matsudaira Katamori, the feudal lord of Aizu who served as the guardian of Kyoto at the end of the Edo period, had his headquarters.
During the special visit, visitors can view the “Audience Room,” “Tiger Room,” and “Pine Room” at the Daihojo, and stroll through the corridor-style garden “Shikun-no-niwa” and the garden “Goen-no-michi” which was created in 2012.
