Seek out some of the best autumn foliage in the temples of Kyoto Prefecture

One of the three main shrines bearing the name Hachimangu, Iwashimizu Hachimangu Shrine was dedicated to a god for the protection of the nation in 860. After the main shrine was restored by Oda Nobunaga and its cloister rebuilt by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Tokugawa Iemitsu built an additional ten shrine buildings in 1634, all of which are a part of this National Treasure.

Zenporitsu-ji Temple, located in the southeast of Iwashimizu Hachimangu Shrine in Yawata City, Kyoto, was donated by Zenpoujikyusei, the officer of Iwashimizu Hachimangu Shrine, in 1257 as a dormitory for the monks. Jissou-Shonin, a master from Todai-ji Temple in Nara, was invited to be the founder of the temple. It is said that Ryoko, the great-granddaughter of Zenpoujikyusei, married Ashikaga Yoshiakira and gave birth to the third generation Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, and was deeply tied to the Muromachi Shogun family. Many maple trees (momiji) donated by Ryoko are planted in the gardens, and in autumn, nearly 100 maple trees turn red, creating beautiful scenery that has earned the temple the name of “Momiji Temple.” The main hall and the front gate are designated as cultural assets of Kyoto Prefecture. In addition, the temple has a total of 9 designated cultural assets of Yawata City, such as its seated statue of Amida Buddha (Amida Nyorai) with jewel crown and the seated statue of the Yawata Buddhist monk (Reservations are required for visits of the interior of the main hall).

This temple of the Soto Zen school of Buddhism was a training hall opened in Fukakusa (Fushimi) by the Buddhist monk Dogen in the Kamakura Period (1192-1333). It was later reconstructed in 1648 by Lord Nagai Naomasa of Yodo Castle, using the remains of Fushimi Castle. Highlights amongst the seven structures in the temple grouds include the Kotozaka, the approach to the temple that forms a tunnel of fall foliage in autumn; the temple gate made in the Ryugu-zukuri architectural style; “nightingale” hallway floors that squeak to alert those within of intruders; the Tenarai Kannon bodhisattva as mentioned in the classic "The Tale of Genji"; and chitenjo ceilings.

Kuwata-jinja Shrine in located in Yamamoto, Kameoka City, Kyoto Prefecture. It was listed in the government's official compliation of shrines, the "Engi-shiki Jinmyo-cho," and it was formerly ranked as a "village shrine." The mountainside behind Kuwata-jinja Shrine, which stretches to the entrance to the Hozukyo Gorge, is covered in an forest of evergreen beeches and oaks, which, together with the Hozu-gawa River flowing below, makes for some marvelously soothing scenery.

The Sagano Romantic Train is a sightseeing train that uses the old Sanin train line. From Torokko Saga Station to Torokko Kameoka Station, the train covers 7.3 kilometers in about 25 minutes, with mountain cherry blossoms and fresh green in the springtime, the voices of cicadas and the sound of the rain and river in the summer, brilliant autumn leaves in the fall, and snowy scenery in the winter—perfect for taking in the best of the seasonal scenery along the Hozu-gawa River Gorge.