Kyoto Itinerary | Autumn Leaves Season Trip | Rakuhoku Enkoji Temple and Shisendo

#Kyoto Itinerary There are many famous scenic spots in the Rakuhoku area of ​​Kyoto. As it is the autumn leaf season, we decided to take a half-day tour around Enkoji Temple. The distance you need to walk to reach Enkoji Temple is relatively short compared to taking the bus, so it is recommended to leave early in the morning to avoid the crowds. Yuankoji Temple has always been a famous autumn leaf viewing spot in northern Ryokan. It is a temple of the Nanzenji sect of the Rinzai sect founded by Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1601. There are many attractions in Enkoji Temple: the dry landscape of the "Benlong Rock Garden", the maple leaves of the "Ten Oxen Garden", the "Suikkotsu" with the sound of water in the bamboo tube, and the oldest wooden printing type set in Japan collected in the "Zuiunkaku". In particular, the view of the garden from the main hall and the academy is like a beautiful painting, which is suitable for taking some time to sit down and slowly appreciate. There is an "Autumn Special Viewing" every autumn during the red leaf season. Please check the official website of Enkoji Temple for the specific time. During the special visit period, you may need to make an appointment on the official website and enter the temple with an email confirmation letter. Shisen-do is about 100 meters away from Yuanguang Temple and can be reached in 1 or 2 minutes on foot. This is the mountain villa built by Ishikawa Jozan, a retainer of the Tokugawa family in the Edo period, for his seclusion. It is now a temple of the Soto sect of Buddhism, also known as "Jozanji Temple." The name comes from the fact that the walls of the "Poetry Hall" in the west of the main hall are hung with portraits of 36 Chinese poets. The temple is not very big and the garden is very quiet. There are relatively few restaurants around, so for lunch you can take a short walk to Ichijoji Station. For the afternoon itinerary, you can take a bus in about 30 minutes to the Philosopher's Path, Ginkaku-ji Temple, or the famous maple viewing spots Eikan-do or Nanzen-ji Temple.