Jingo-ji

Jingo-ji is a Buddhist temple in Ukyō Ward, Kyoto, set on Mount Takao within a dense forest. The complex includes several halls with curved roofs, stone lanterns lining the paths, and a two-story pagoda rising among tall cedars.

Wake no Kiyomaro founded the temple in 824 after receiving religious teachings from Kukai and Saicho. Centuries later, the complex experienced several reconstructions following fires, with many buildings dating from the Edo period.

Visitors come to throw kawarake, small clay discs that sail over the forested slopes from a platform, symbolically carrying worries away. The temple displays bright red maple trees in autumn that stand out against the dark wooden buildings and draw many photographers.

The climb from the Takao bus stop takes about twenty minutes up a steep stone staircase through the forest. The complex opens in the morning and closes in the late afternoon, with the path becoming slippery during rain.

The main hall preserves a wooden statue of Yakushi Nyorai from the Heian period, counted among Japan's National Treasures. Monks still hold prayers in the early morning hours when mist hangs between the trees and bells ring through the valley.

Location: Ukyō Ward

Inception: 824

Founders: Wake no Kiyomaro

Fee: Yes

Charge: 1000 JPY; 500 JPY

Part of: 18 pagodes et temples bouddhistes, 49 svetih mest Saigokuja Jakušija, Shinbutsu Reijō Junpai no Michi

Address: 京都府京都市右京区梅ヶ畑高雄町5

Opening Hours: Monday-Sunday 09:00-16:00

Phone: +81758611769

Website: http://jingoji.or.jp

GPS coordinates: 35.05502,135.67087

Latest update: December 14, 2025 18:40