Jingo-ji Temple In Takao
About the Jingo-ji Camera
Jingo-ji stands on a wooded mountainside at Takao, in the hills west of Kyoto. Reaching it means crossing the Kiyotaki River and climbing a long flight of stone steps, which keeps the casual traffic away and makes the temple feel considerably more remote than its distance from the city suggests.
The temple has deep roots in Japanese Buddhism. Kukai based himself here in the early ninth century before establishing Mount Koya, and it holds important early Buddhist art. The setting, rather than any single building, is what visitors remember.
Takao is one of Kyoto's premier maple districts, and in November the whole valley turns. The temple is also known for kawarake-nage, where visitors throw small unglazed clay discs from a platform out over the gorge, a gesture meant to cast off misfortune.
Highlights & Nearby
- •Watch for: November maples across the valley, the stone stairway and gate, mist in the gorge
- •Nearby: Takao and the Kiyotaki River, Saimyo-ji, Kozan-ji, the Kitayama hills
- •Note: reached by a long stone stairway from the river; among Kyoto's best autumn colour
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Jingo-ji camera live?
Yes. It streams continuously.
How do you get there?
By crossing the Kiyotaki River at Takao and climbing a long stone stairway up the mountainside.
What is its historical significance?
Kukai was based here in the early ninth century, before he established the monastic centre on Mount Koya.
What is kawarake-nage?
A custom of throwing small unglazed clay discs from a platform out over the gorge, understood as casting away misfortune.
