Hidden Maple Viewing Spots in Arashiyama Alleys – Enkaku-an Opens Seasonally in Autumn

By MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Life Network Editorial Department

There are many maple-viewing spots in Arashiyama, such as Nison-in and Jōjō-ji Temple, which are quite popular. But if you want to avoid the crowds, Enkaku-an nestled in a small path might be your best choice. "Longing for the Pure Land, Renouncing the Defiled World" — leaving behind the impure world and joyfully seeking the Pure Land. Enkaku-an at the foot of Mount Kuragari is just such a place.

On the way from Seiryo-ji Temple to Senju-in Temple, there is an inconspicuous little stone monument. Walk into the bamboo grove path, and you’ll find a small mountain gate — that’s Enkaku-an. Though small, Enkaku-an reveals its charm in its compactness. Its maple leaves are famously brilliant red, covering every corner of sight with a sea of crimson. Especially when sunlight filters through the autumn leaves, it bathes the temple garden in a rosy hue, creating a truly poetic scene.

The original site of Enkaku-an was the detached villa of Fujiwara no Teika, the author of Japan’s famous ancient poetry collection "Hyakunin Isshu." It was here that Fujiwara no Teika compiled the renowned poetry anthology. Later, the site fell into disuse until it was revived in the mid-Edo period and named "Enkaku-an" by Emperor Reigen. In Meiji 43 (1910), Shirokiya Department Store president Ōmura Hikotarō built a Buddhist hall here and invited So shin-ni, the daughter of the famous shogunate retainer Yamaoka Tetsutarō, to serve as the abbess. Since then, Enkaku-an has been a nunnery of the Tendai sect's Tenryū-ji school.