Walking Okusagano: From Jojakko-ji Temple to Adashino Nenbutsu-ji Temple and Toriimoto

This walking route heads north through the quiet temples and ancient approach ways of Okusagano, visiting Jojakko-ji Temple, Nison-in Temple, and Gio-ji Temple at the foot of Mt. Ogura north of Arashiyama, continuing to Adashino Nenbutsu-ji Temple with its roughly 8,000 stone Buddhas and pagodas, and on to the Saga Toriimoto streetscape lined with thatched farmhouses and machiya townhouses.

History and Local Charm

Sagano has been known since the Heian period as a scenic area where imperial family members and nobles built detached palaces and mountain villas. Within the grounds of Jojakko-ji Temple lies a spot said to be the site of Fujiwara no Teika's Ogura mountain villa. At the foot of Mt. Ogura stand Nison-in Temple, said to have been founded by Jikaku Daishi Ennin by imperial decree of Emperor Saga, and Gio-ji Temple, associated with the tale of Gio from The Tale of the Heike.

Further in, Adashino was regarded as a burial ground from the Heian period, known alongside Toribeno in the east and Rendaino in the north. In waka poetry, "the dew of Adashino" was used as a phrase expressing the transience of human life. Still deeper lies Saga Toriimoto, a townscape along Atago Kaido, the old pilgrimage path leading to Atago-jinja Shrine. It was established as a settlement toward the end of the Muromachi period, and from around the middle of the Edo period, it also developed as a temple-gate town for pilgrims visiting Atago. In 1979 (Showa 54), it was designated an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings.

Key Highlights

• ​Jojakko-ji Temple​​: A temple of the Nichiren sect located on the mountainside of Mt. Ogura, founded during the Keicho era by Kukyo-in Nisshin Shonin. It features a thatched Niomon gate and a Tahoto pagoda designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan. In autumn, about 200 maple trees along the mountain path form a tunnel of autumn colors.
• ​Nison-in Temple​​: A Tendai sect temple whose name derives from its two principal images: the "Sending Buddha" Shakyamuni and the "Welcoming Buddha" Amitabha. The approximately 100-meter approach leading from the main gate, known as "Momiji-no-Baba," turns into a tunnel of autumn foliage in fall and is bathed in cherry blossom hues in spring.
• ​Gio-ji Temple​​: A nunnery where Gio, a shirabyoshi dancer who served Taira no Kiyomori, is said to have moved and taken the tonsure alongside her mother and younger sister. In late autumn, its moss-covered garden becomes a carpet of "scattered autumn leaves," and its thatched cottage features a round Yoshino window known as the "Rainbow Window."
• ​Adashino Nenbutsu-ji Temple​​: A Jodo sect temple where about 8,000 stone Buddhas and pagodas, once scattered and buried in the hills and fields of Adashino, stand arranged in the "Sai-no-Kawara" area of the temple grounds. Every year in the evening of the last Saturday and Sunday of August, the Sento Kuyo Memorial Service is held, during which candles are lit as offerings.
• ​Saga Toriimoto​​: A streetscape where machiya townhouses with latticed windows and plaster walls stand along the same street as thatched farmhouses. It features the Saga Toriimoto Preservation Hall, established in a renovated early Meiji-period townhouse, and the vermilion Ichino-torii gate of Atago-jinja Shrine standing at the edge of the street.

Recommended Route and Estimated Time

The entire route takes about 5 hours. Jojakko-ji Temple is roughly a 15-minute walk from JR Saga-Arashiyama Station. Because the temple grounds are on a mountain slope with many stone stairs, wearing comfortable walking shoes is recommended. From Jojakko-ji Temple, it is about 220 meters north to Nison-in Temple, and about 240 meters northwest from Nison-in Temple to Gio-ji Temple, allowing you to walk northward along the foot of Mt. Ogura.

Walking about 430 meters northwest from Gio-ji Temple brings you to Adashino Nenbutsu-ji Temple. The temple sits along the old approach path to Atago-jinja Shrine, along which the townscape of Saga Toriimoto extends. Along the road is the Saga Toriimoto Preservation Hall, set in a renovated early Meiji townhouse. Deeper along the streetscape stands Otagi Nenbutsu-ji Temple, known for its 1,200 Rakan statues. On the return trip, you can board a bus from the "Toriimoto" stop of Kyoto Bus, located about a 5-minute walk from Adashino Nenbutsu-ji Temple. As both Adashino Nenbutsu-ji Temple and Toriimoto are places of prayer and daily life, please walk quietly.

In autumn, this route becomes a continuous stretch of famous autumn foliage spots. The maples at Jojakko-ji Temple usually begin turning color around the second week of November and are at their most beautiful from mid- to late November. Every August, coinciding with the Sento Kuyo Memorial Service at Adashino Nenbutsu-ji Temple, the "Atago Furumichi Kaido Tomoshi" event is held, illuminating the street with approximately 800 lanterns of various sizes.

Experience Summary

From the foot of Mt. Ogura, where Fujiwara no Teika is said to have built his villa, to a nunnery connected to The Tale of the Heike, the stone Buddhas of Adashino reflecting on transience, and the streetscape that once served as a pilgrimage gate town for Atago. Experience the quiet path of Okusagano that grows ever more serene the deeper you go.