One of my favorite temples in Japan. Peaceful, unique and calm. Not crowded. I don't know why but generally arashiyami and bamboo forest areas are very crowded but this is not. Recommended place.

My wife and I hired a local guide while in Kyoto. He took us to this temple while we were out and about. I don't think this is a destination for most tourists. We only saw a few other couples. This was my favorite Buddhist temple we visited in Japan. We did get to meet the head monk, and it was an honor. What an extremely nice person. This temple was unique for its hundreds of different statues. You found your favorite and placed a coin on its head or in its mouth for good luck.

Has to be one of my favourite temples. It's so different and interesting to see all the small statues, each one different. This temple is relatively small but you could easily spend a fair bit of time just soaking in the atmosphere, tucked away in the mountains. It's only a short bus journey away from Arashiyama but it was so peaceful and I was amazed that there were only a couple of other people there. I 100% recommend paying a visit if you're in the area.

A unique temple with Rakan (Stone Statue of buddha's disciplines) The temple has a long history of over 1,000 years but has been dystroy and has been relocated many times until its current location in 1922. Over 1,200 Rakan statues were made by amature sculptors that have been taught the head prist who was an accomplished sculptor in 1955 and placed in the temple during the 1980s to early 90's. So you can see a statue holding a walkman or tennis racket. It's a bit of tradition to find a Rakan that resembles you the most. The entrance fee cost 300 JPY, and there are significantly fewer tourists when compared to Arashiyama main attraction. So you can almost enjoy the temple to yourselves. Tips : Although it is possible to walk to the temple but I would recommend you take a bus from around Arashiyama station to the bus stop just in front of the temple to save time (taxi is also not too expensive). Then you can walk back toward the station. Via this route so you can enjoy walking along Saga Toriimoto Preserved Street and visit others' interesting places on the way, such as Adashino Nenbutsuji Temple, Gio-ji, and Nison-in temple.

The temple is adorable!! In the wilderness. Nice energy. But foreign tourists was very disrespectful!!!! Why they even come to such hidden parts! They pollute the energy of divinity!!! I sow 2 couples one Chinese and one American lying on the floor in the main hall taking pictures and videos! If you come to temple pray and enjoy the beautiful scenes!!! You can play YouTubers in your home country!!! 😡😡😡😡😡

This temple isn't usually featured in the top lists for temples to visit on Kyoto perhaps due to distance. However, if you want a temple that is less "touched" by tourism structures, this is it. You have the opportunity to go through the district Arashiyama and find more green and less people than the rest of the Kyoto temples. While the statues bring charm and draw to this temple, there are a lot more details and history that bring the spirituality and peace you may seek. Notes: Recommend going early in the morning when it opens. Cash only admission. It is not a large temple, so easily can seen in less than 20 minutes unless you want to take your time to see all the details and individual statues.

This temple is perhaps not as popular as the other ones in the Arashiyama area, but I found it the most interesting given the 1,200 stone statues depicting all kinds of human emotions on site. The statue carving is actually a relatively recent effort during the restoration of the 1980s. The statues (Rakan, who are followers of Buddha) were carved by people who paid a pilgrimage at the temple by learning carving. Do note that the back of the statues show names, and I assumed they are the names of the carvers. And yes, there was foliage there, which made the statues come alive even more so - most are covered in moss already.

One of my favorite temples to visit away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The temple itself is simple and not busy. It is quite unique with the different faces of the stone statutes, my favorite part. They offer free parking although limited and a red stamp is available for your goshuin book.

¥300 entry and the 94 bus stops just outside the entrance. Easily reached from central Arashiyama (the bridge) in 20 minutes or so. Make sure you check the times of your return bus as they seem to be only once per hour. Awesome place and well worth the slight detour. It is different to other temples with so many statues carved by locals and their unique facial expressions. Lots of moss. Beautiful temples and paths up and around them. We were lucky and only 3 other people were there for about 20 minutes while we visited! (Probably due to covid) English leaflet provided

Quiet temple with beautiful autumn foliage. The stone statues have comical expressions and looking at them was such a delight that I didn’t realize how much time passed by. Fewer people come here so you can explore leisurely as well.

An underrated hidden gem, off the tourist radar. The main reason being its distance from the hotspots. But if one chooses to walk along the scenic old route to reach this place, it may well turn out to be the highlight of Arashiyama! The temple is not massive (like many others in Kyoto). But there are hundreds of small jizo statues spread all over the hilly terrain. Each of them shows different expression/ mood or profession. The bus stop is right in front of the temple, but the frequency is limited. Without a doubt, a not to be missed feature! PS: There are many other lesser known shrines along the way, away from the crowds.

This is an amazing temple and quite cheap to visit, I think it was less than ¥500 per person, it is quite small and contained, but the level of detail from all of the statues, really makes it worth the visit, it's a bit of a trek from the train station, but on a nice day makes for a great end point. There are building that's you can enter, which require you to remove your shoes, but it all feels calm. You can also pay a gratituity to ring the bells. Great to walk around and will make for some amazing photo opportunities with all the styles of statues.

Straight from Arashiyama Bamboo Grove to Otagi Nembutsu-ji Temple, and what a delightful contrast! Surprisingly less popular than Arashiyama, this hidden gem boasts intriguing stone guardians, each one unique. We paid around 600 yen per person, and the tranquility of the place is worth every penny. Easily accessible by bus (we took Bus 62 from Arashiyama), the only sounds interrupting the serene atmosphere are crows and other birds, occasionally accompanied by distant vehicle noises – never loud enough to disrupt the peaceful ambiance of the place. Definitely recommend.

A beautiful and quiet temple with the most incredible and unique sculptures of Buddha's disciples. Each one was crafted by a different sculptor depicting so much beauty and character. The way moss grows on them also adds to the individuality of each stone. I'm so glad we could visit, it is a treasure

This is such a special temple! Even though it was hot, it was still so fun to walk around and see all of the different statues. There are also some places to sit. I really enjoyed reading about the main priest and his passion for sculpting. It's also situated on a hill - you can walk down the hill and visit a number of additional temples and restaurants/shops on the way down. A very peaceful and lovely place.

I liked this temple a lot. Very nice and neat temple. Cheap entrance fee (I think 300 yen) We took the bus there. Be careful about the bus back, as it goes once every hour.

Definite highlight of the trip to Arashimaya! After getting off at the Saga-Arashimaya station, catch a taxi outside the station (¥1300) to the temple which is around a 10-minute drive. The temple itself is serene, beautiful, not crowded, just wonderful overall and so much better than the bamboo grove which is overrun with tourists looking for the perfect photo op. From here, walk downhill (take the road going towards the right) towards Arashimaya. You’ll pass by lovely small villages which makes for a very pleasant walk down and takes just 30 minutes (as opposed to having to spend all of that time walking uphill).

Magical trail leading up to this beautiful temple. Highly recommended for those looking to get away from the Arashiyama crowd. Spotted some exotic supercars parked along.

Japan is full of unique treasures this place is definitely one of them. Situated far out of the city away from all the noise you get to have a beautiful experience in this tranquil space. Definitely worth a visit

So cute. Small temple with many smiling statues. Easy to view within an hour which is good as the buses run every hr or so. Quick bus ride from/to arashiyama station.

A surprising number of stone statues have been created. Find the statue you like best. I liked the ‘Cat ~’ stone statue the most. Of course, I made up the name. I got here easily using a rental car. However, it doesn't seem to be a good location for walking or using public transportation.

Beautiful Temple located in Kyoto. Mind relaxing scenery. It’s called one of beautiful temple in autumn season. No so crowded. Spiritual blessings. Very calm and nice place, Area.

Absolutely amazing temple. We found some street parking and walked along the grounds and rang the bell and met the priest who runs the place. So peaceful and serene. I had seen so many videos on this place so I was glad to cross it off my list.

Gorgeous old temple with some history. It was founded by an empress in the 8th century, flooded and rebuilt. Destroyed again in the 13th century during civil unrest and finally moved to its current location in 1922. In 1950 a typhoon damaged it and then in 1981 it had a new lease on life via the addition of 1200 rakan statues that were made by amateur artists across Japan with the help and guidance of the head monk, Kocho Nishimura. (Thanks to Henry from Noru Kyoto cycle tours for the guided tour and info).

A beautiful, serene, and quiet temple, away from the other temples infested with tourists. A little harder to get to, but it's a 15 minute bus ride away from Arashiyama station. There's an admission fee of ¥400 for adults and free for children! I'd definitely recommend going to this temple if you're around the area and looking to stray away from the crowd. We encountered disrespectful adult tourists who fooled around in the temple itself - please behave and respect the temple. Aside from that, the little statues covered in moss was absolutely beautiful. Do climb up further and you'll spot a sole little statue! He's super cute.

Here you can appreciate many child-like Buddha's statues, each with a particular job, photographer included! Very beautiful, spiritual and peaceful temple, worth the visit, especially at the sunset. Goshuin available. There is also a nice fountain with plants growing in.

A must see in your visit to the area. For me it was even more worth it than the Bamboo tracks. I paid 300yen for the entry and it was worth the price! It was a 30 min walk from the Bamboo area. You can get there by bus, but if you are physically able, I strongly suggest you take the walk there and see the beautiful town and the surroundings. That was worth the effort for sure!

A hidden gem in Arashiyama. The walk to the temple in the peaceful village area was great. Not too many tourists, which was also nice. Go and find your favourite statue!

Charming temple, very calm as it is not commonly visited by group of tourists. Took a walk from nearest JR station and it was worth it as i got to see charming japanese style residences all the way up.

Otagi Nenbutsuji temple was the perfect escape from the crowds at Arashiyama. Despite its unfortunate history, it houses delightful and humourous Rakan statues. We enjoyed strolling around the temple and observing each Rakan and their unique facial expressions. The temple structures are beautiful and it is nice to walk around and see each statue. You can take a bus, walk or take a taxi to this location. We started our journey by taking a taxi from the station and made our way down towards the bamboo forest.

Fun little temple area. Definitely recommend checking it out! The little statues are fun to look at and is an overall peaceful experience, away from the all the buzz near the bamboo forest.

Calm and spiritual place. I really enjoyed walking around the statues and trying to find interesting buddha variations. You also have a statue of buddha that you can touch that was made for blind people. What a beautiful place🥰

My most favourite sightseeing spot !. Less crowds, serene &visually photographical. The bus to get here & backis only once every hour. So make sure you cbe k the timetable. ( route 92 & 94). I visited during autumn, the colours of the japanese maple & ginkgos are out of this world.

Super cool temple tucked away in Kyoto! It’s a 30 min walk from the bamboo forest. The statues were super cute and perfect for photos

This small temple is something special. Away from the crowds of Arashiyama, you can enjoy the beauty and tranquility of this spot. The statues covered in moss are so cute and unique. Bit tricky to reach as the bus only runs every hour. From here, you can walk down a nice old road to get back to Arashiyama which has some nice shops and restaurants and is also lovely and quiet.

This was our favorite temple in Kyoto! The statues are so happy and full of life. Well worth the small effort to get further away from the tourist core of Arashiyama.

Unique temple only in Japan. It’s a very peaceful places. A must- visit in Kyoto. I recommend to go there by taxi to save time.

This is a very nice place to visit. Although it's a bit far and requires you to take a bus, this small temple has its own charm. There are so many little statues in here. Some are so funny and somehow have a lot of coins in their mouths. The downside is that there is only one bus that passes this temple. So make sure you know the schedule when the bus comes and leaves.

Beautiful spot in a picturesque neighborhood. There are many different statues for you to enjoy, all of them expressing the character of the sculptor. I fell at peace at the different temples

A very nice temple to visit. The entrance fee is only 300¥. All the different statues are very mesmerizing to see. It is not a large temple, so don't expect that you are visiting this place for more than 30 minutes. We walked from the bamboo forest to the temple (about 30 minutes), but there is also a bus stop in front of the temple

Arriving to this temple (dating from 8th century) seems like you are at the exit gate of Kyoto. It is calm place full of piece, so some people use it for meditation when there is no to much people around. It is famous by almost 1200 stone figures.

I really enjoyed seeing each sculptor's impression or feeling of Buddha in this very beautiful setting. It was so peaceful on the mountain, and the temple was a calming place to honour those who have gone before us.

Peaceful and very quiet due to so few people on site. I think we saw less than 10 during the hour we were there. ¥300pp. Go on a weekday if you want a peaceful experience.

Small and quite temple. 1 main office, 2 smalls shrines inside and 1 main building access. inside each building contain believed god/godness. timely so fast (up to 1.5hrs+) when start searching for all hidden stones. friendly staff and broken Japanese can help you.temple's cookie also cute and tasty. you may need to aware on this regarding to this template located quite and remotely and bus schedule is 1 hr interval. no any vending machine/foods here. only nature and 1200 stones

an amazing temple!! it’s really beautiful and there are almost no tourists! there’s a bus stop right next to the temple so it’s easy to get there. i really recommend this place ☺️