From Kinkaku-ji Temple to Ryoan-ji Temple and Ninna-ji Temple via Kinukake-no-Michi Road

Spend a day walking from Kinkaku-ji Temple along Kinukake-no-Michi Road overlooking Mt. Kinugasa to Ryoan-ji Temple and Ninna-ji Temple, concluding with a visit to Myoshin-ji Temple.

History and Regional Appeal

The sightseeing road leading from in front of Kinkaku-ji Temple through Ryoan-ji Temple to Ninna-ji Temple is called "Kinukake-no-Michi Road." This name was coined mainly by local residents toward the end of the Showa period. The place name Kinugasa is said to derive from a historical anecdote in which Emperor Uda draped white silk over Mt. Kinugasa in summer during the 9th century to enjoy the appearance of snow-covered scenery. Ninna-ji Temple, which stands at the road's end, was completed by this same Emperor Uda. Along the road stand Kinkaku-ji Temple, which originated as a mountain villa of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, the 3rd shogun of the Muromachi shogunate, and Ryoan-ji Temple, founded by Hosokawa Katsumoto. All three temples were registered as World Heritage sites in 1994 as part of the "Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto." To the south, Myoshin-ji Temple began when Cloistered Emperor Hanazono converted his detached palace into a Zen temple; Ryoan-ji Temple was founded by welcoming Giten Gensho of Myoshin-ji Temple as its founding priest.

Key Highlights

• ​Kinkaku-ji Temple​​: A Zen temple of the Rinzai sect's Shokoku-ji branch, whose official name is Rokuon-ji Temple. The Golden Pavilion (Shariden relic hall) features Shinden-zukuri palace style on the first tier, Buke-zukuri warrior style on the second tier, and Chinese-style Zen Buddhist hall architecture on the third tier, with pure gold leaf applied to the second and third tiers. After being destroyed by arson in 1950, it was rebuilt in 1955. The view of the islands in Kyokochi Pond, which stretches out before the Golden Pavilion, changes depending on the viewing position.
• ​Ryoan-ji Temple​​: The rock garden south of the Hojo (abbot's hall) is a karesansui (dry landscape) garden where 15 stones are arranged into five clusters across roughly 250 square meters of white sand, and it is designated as a national Historic Site and Special Place of Scenic Beauty. North of the Hojo sits a stone water basin carved with the characters "吾唯足知" (ware tada taru o shiru, meaning "I learn only to be contented"), and the Ryoan-ji garden centered around Kyoyochi Pond is also a national Place of Scenic Beauty.
• ​Ninna-ji Temple​​: The head temple of the Shingon sect's Omuro branch, where members of the imperial family served as head priests (monzeki) for generations until the Meiji Restoration. The National Treasure Kondo (main hall) is the Keicho-era Shishinden Hall of the Kyoto Imperial Palace, relocated here, making it the oldest surviving Shishinden Hall today. Other highlights include the "Omuro cherry blossoms," a grove of late-blooming, low-growing cherry trees, and the five-story pagoda built in 1644.
• ​Myoshin-ji Temple​​: The head temple of the Rinzai sect's Myoshin-ji branch. Its temple complex (garan), with the Sanmon gate, Buddha hall, and Hatto (lecture hall) lined up in a straight line, is said to showcase the most complete form of an early modern Zen temple complex, and currently includes 46 sub-temples. On the flat board ceiling (kagami-tenjo) of the Hatto is a dragon painting among clouds that Kano Tan'yu took eight years to paint, and it also houses a National Treasure temple bell bearing the oldest recorded year inscription in Japan.

Recommended Route and Estimated Time

The estimated time required is about 6 hours. Get off at the Kyoto City Bus stop "Kinkakuji-michi," and Kinkaku-ji Temple is about a 3-minute walk away. After your visit, walk southwest along Kinukake-no-Michi Road for about 1.2 kilometers to Ryoan-ji Temple. From there, it is about 540 meters southwest to Ninna-ji Temple at the end of the road. Walking about 900 meters southeast from Ninna-ji Temple brings you to Myoshin-ji Temple. Everyday residential paths run through the grounds of Myoshin-ji Temple, allowing you to walk through freely at any time; the reception for visiting the Hatto is at the entrance to the Daihojo (Grand Abbot's Hall). For the return trip, it is a 5-minute walk from the South Gate to JR Hanazono Station on the Sagano Line. Ryoan-ji Temple is also about a 7-minute walk from Randen Ryoan-ji Station, and Ninna-ji Temple is about a 3-minute walk from Randen Omuro-Ninnaji Station, so you can also use the train for parts of the tour.

Summary of the Experience

From the golden relic hall and the garden of only white sand and stones, to the imperial monzeki temple that relocated palace buildings, and the straight alignment of the Zen temple complex, the temples continuing southward from the road overlooking Mt. Kinugasa each show a different aspect. Take a full day to explore them while following the road that overlooks Mt. Kinugasa, a site tied to the story of Emperor Uda.