Rurikō-In Temple

Unclaimed

A Buddhist temple in the forest. Very calm and zen feeling. They will guide you to a small walking tour inside the temple. There is also a paper for you to write Japanese calligraphy with the Buddhist mantra which you can write your name, address and your wish there. After that, place the paper faced down at the down stair in front of the Buddha statue. Worth a visit!

Booked the timed entry ticket (required in Nov during peak viewing season), even so, had to wait 10-15 mins to enter. It was really crowded but if you're patient, can definitely take photos of the reflection of the leaves on the lacquered table. The reflection of the leaves though - looks better on camera than in person. All other photos of the leaves looked better in person though. Look out for the huge lapis lazuli as well! Not sure I'd come again - recommend Eikando instead as it's much bigger, more affordable and the maple leaf viewing areas are bigger.

Crowded? Overpriced? Visited on 4th December and there was few people, perhaps because the reservation period (until 2 Dec) was over. I strolled over from Eikando temple, a near 45minutes walk. I arrived around 4pm, and there was no queue to enter. I proceeded to pay 2000¥ and enter the place. It’s a short flight of steps up and then you enter the compound where you have to take your shoes off and carry it with you in a plastic bag which they provide. The building is 2 storeys and not big at all. The iconic spot is on the second floor. It’s essentially a big black temple which has reflective surface, therefore when you have the photo against it you can see the reflections of the autumn foliage outside. In the day, the colors are not very good. It was moderately crowded but I was able to share the space and take photos without any difficulty. I decided to stay till nightfall, where the colors really come to life. The place closed at 6pm but by 5pm it’s dark enough and around 530pm the colors are really illuminated. It was around that time that there was almost nobody. At one point there was only me, another photographer and 2 staff. We had already taken a lot of photos and we’re just admiring the calmness in the room. I guess we were lucky. There are a few more rooms to explore when you head back down and a nice view in the day outside one of the windows where you can admire the view of the hills and its splendid colors. I left around 550pm and was the last few visitors for the day, the staff were beginning to pack up as well. It was dark and I made a quiet 10mins walk to the Eizan train station, it was a productive visit.

Visited October 16, 2024 (Wednesday). There were lots of tourists but not so crowded as compared to peak season. I had a peaceful time here. Stayed for more than an hour.