Nison-in Temple

Introduction

Nison-in sits at the foot of Mt Ogura, formally the Ogurayama Nisonkyoin Kedaiji of the Tendai school. Founded between 834 and 848 by the monk Ennin at Emperor Saga's command, its main hall enshrines two images, Shaka Nyorai and Amida Nyorai, which is where the common name 'temple of the two honoured ones' comes from. What gives the temple its standing in Arashiyama is the approach from the outer gate: roughly a hundred metres of gentle slope lined with alternating cherries and maples that turn into a red tunnel each autumn, long known as the Momiji-no-Baba, the maple riding ground. The gate itself is a yakui-mon moved here from Fushimi Castle in 1613, its patterns restored to their Edo-period form during 2014 repairs, while the main hall underwent its first full restoration in 350 years in 2016. The wooded slope behind holds a heavier layer of history: the divided tombs of three emperors, Tsuchimikado, Go-Saga and Kameyama, the graves of Suminokura Ryoi and his son, and the site of Fujiwara no Teika's Shiguretei villa, the setting behind one of the Hyakunin Isshu poems. Open 09:00-16:30 every day, JPY 500 for junior high and over, free for younger children, cash only. Fifteen minutes from Randen Arashiyama station, it is far quieter than Tenryuji and the bamboo grove and well worth a Sagano morning.

✨ Highlights

🛈 Practical Info