Enkoji Temple’s Breathtaking Views in Kyoto, 2024

There are several iconic and breathtaking gardens in the city of Kyoto, known for their beauty and cultural significance. “Enkoji Temple has one of the best Japanese gardens that changes dramatically with each season. This garden view from the main room is as beautiful as the photo, which is harmoniously designed to experience throughout the year.

Despite these stunning views, the peak time of each season usually lasts only about a week in any given area. If you are planning a trip to Kyoto and want to experience the most vibrant view, I highly recommend visiting “Enkoji Temple”.
Here is some information about Enkoji Temple.

※ Enkoji Temple require advance reservations for general visitors during the special fall viewing from the first week of November to the first week of December.

History 

Enkoji temple was built as an educational institution in 1601 by Ieyasu Tokugawa who was the fist shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan. Enkoji temple was opened to the general public and not exclusively to buddhist monks. The temple was moved to its present location, Sakyo Ward in 1667, and transform to a temple.

Best seasons

Autumn season

During the autumn season, which usually lasts from late November to early December, the trees in Kyoto City gradually turn from yellow to red. The Enkoji Temple is adorned with stunning autumn leaves, creating a breathtaking sight when combined with the temple’s historic architecture. Especially in Enkoji Temple, there are many species of maple trees that turn into vibrant hues of red, orange, and yellow, attracting both locals and tourists alike.

Summer season

While summer in Kyoto city can be hot and humid, Enkoji Temple can be visited and enjoyed as a summer retreat. Enkoji Temple is located in part of eastern Kyoto city, Sakyo Ward, where has natural beauty, surrounded by many forest. In addition, Enkoji Temple’s garden has many cooling effect: lush, green, strolling pod, bamboo cave. Crape myrtle in the entrance of the garden is in bloom with large, showy clusters of pink flowers in the summer season. 

Gardens

・Jyu-gyu no niwa

The highlight of the “Jyu-gyu” garden is the picturesque view from a main hall of Enkoji Temple. The pillars, the celling, the red felt carpet walkway look like a framed view, creating a “living picture”.

A strolling pond garden “Jyu-gyu no niwa”, representing the ten ox-herding images used in the Zen Buddhist tradition to illustrate the stages of a practitioner’s progress toward enlightenment.

This garden features various trees, the most prominent species of maple found there is the Japanese maple (Acer palmatum, Acer amoenum, Acer palmatum ver. Matumurae).

These maple trees undergo a fascinating transformation as their leaves gradually change from green to vibrant shades of red, orange and yellow. In addition, stone lanterns, arrangement stones and green moss create moments of reflection, beauty and tranquility.

・Modern Japanese dry garden ”Honryutei”

Modern Japanese dry garden is a kind of Japanese garden. This “Honryutei” garden represents the dragon with elongated stone arrangements (back left in the photo above), which symbolize strength, power, and good fortune in Japan. Its swirling white sand and tiles resemble a sea of clouds, while the towering stone pillars resemble lightning bolts. The rock formation on the left represents a dragon soaring through the sky, adding to the garden’s sense of energy and vitality.

Unlike traditional karesansui gardens, this garden does not use tomeishi (boundary stones) to mark its boundaries. Instead, it invites visitors to complete the garden in their own minds, fostering a deeper connection between the viewer and the artwork.

Bamboo Grove
In the depths of the Jyu-gyu garden, a lush bamboo grove spreads out. The panoramic view of northern Kyoto from the bamboo grove of Enkoji Temple is described in historical texts as breathtaking.

Infromation

Reservation is required in Special fall viewing

Usually, Enkoji Temple requiresd advance reservations for general visitors in special Autumn Event. It was from November, 11th to December 5th, 2023).

Here is Enkoji temple URL to book.

Address
13 Ichijoji Kotanicho, Sakyo Ward, Kyoto, 606-8147　

How to get there and avoid crowds

It’s obvious that Kyoto city is crowded with tourists in high season (fall and spring). In addition, Enkoji is one of the most popular temples to see the beautiful gardens. However, a little planning will help you to visit easily. Here are some tips for getting there and avoiding the crowds.

• Avoid weekends and holidays and plan to visit on a weekday..
• It’s a 16-minute walk from the nearest station, Ichijoji, to Enkoji Temple.
• If it’s not the high season, the bus is also convenient.

• The cycling is also good that the road to Enkoji Temple are well maintained, there are many bicycle rental shops and parking area near by Enkoji Temple.

Resource and Link

Enkoji temple(English text)
https://www.enkouji.jp/en/