Fall Foliage at Enko-ji in Northeastern Kyoto

Enko-ji is a lesser-known temple tucked away in the northeastern part of Kyoto. Founded in 1601 by Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, this historic temple is a beautiful spots for fall colors in the city. Despite its small size, this temple has quite a few elements to see besides vibrant maple trees. In this post, I will share photos of Enko-ji’s autumn beauty along with tips on visiting, so you can decide if it’s worth adding to your Kyoto itinerary.

Location and Access

Enko-ji is located in the northern part of Sakyo ward in Kyoto, far beyond popular spots like Ginkaku-ji and the Philosopher’s Path. The best way to get here is by taxi, as public transportation isn’t the most convenient. The nearest train stations (Shugakuin and Ichijoji on the Eizan Main Line) are about a 20-minute walk away. Because of its location, Enko-ji tends to have fewer visitors compared to main tourist sites in Kyoto. 

For our fall 2024 visit, I booked the 8:00–9:00 AM time slot on the official website. I’m not sure if reservations are strictly required as some visitors mentioned they were able to purchase tickets at the entrance. Since the temple is out of the way, I didn’t want to risk being turned away after making the trip out here and the reservation steps were super quick and easy.

Upon arrival, the temple grounds were fairly quiet, allowing us to explore at a relaxed pace. By the time we left, it had become moderately crowded – nothing like the crowds at Kiyomizu-dera, but certainly busier than when we first arrived.

Beautiful Fall Colors

After passing through the main gate, the first thing you will see is Honryutei, the temple’s rock garden. Designed to represent a dragon soaring through the sea of clouds, its raked gravel features circular and flowing patterns symbolizing swirling clouds, while carefully placed stones form the dragon’s head and spine. Unlike some rock gardens that require more imagination, such as the Turtle and Crane Garden at Konchi-in, I think this one is relatively easy to interpret. You can quickly recognize the head of the dragon.

Stepping through the inner gate, you should head to the main hall first as it provides the best viewing spot for fall foliage on the temple grounds. From the main hall, the garden of Enko-ji, named Jyugyu no Niwa, is perfectly framed like a living painting. Sit down and let the autumn scenery invite you to slow down and appreciate the fleeting beauty of the season.

When we visited at the end of November, the maple trees on the temple grounds were still dominantly yellow and orange with scattered spots of red. The day before, we had visited Eikan-do, which is just a bit south of Enko-ji, and noticed that the maples there had turned a deeper red. It was interesting to see how the foliage progressed differently even in areas that weren’t too far apart.

Still, we found the autumn scene from the main hall very pretty – though I could imagine how stunning it must look when the colors are at their peak. The vibrant leaves created a stunning contrast with the lush moss, and the stone lantern and the scattered rocks further added to the scene. All elements are arranged in a way that felt both intentional and natural, which is an essential feature of traditional Japanese gardens.

After spending time in the main hall, we wandered through the temple grounds, where seasonal displays added a charming touch for visitors. The suikinkutsu drip basin was decorated with maple leaves. Another highlight was the adorable Jizo statue, peacefully sitting on moss-covered ground surrounded by fallen maple leaves.

The walking path then led us to a small bamboo patch, providing a refreshing green contrast to the vivid shades of the maple trees. While not as vast as the famous Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, it added a nice variation to the landscape. Continuing uphill beyond the bamboo grove, we passed a torii gate and reached a small Toshogu Shrine, dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu, the temple’s founder.

We found the panorama view of Kyoto city at the top of the hill wasn’t particularly impressive. However, I heard that during sunset, the view would be a lot more spectacular.

Before leaving, don’t forget to stop by the main entrance to get a goshuin. The adorable Jizo and delicate maple leaves on the goshuin brings a smile to my face every time I see it. It was probably one of my most favorite goshuin so far.

Summary

During this trip, we visited quite a lot of temples for fall foliage viewing. Enko-ji was not our most favorite one, but it certainly has unique features that stood out to us. I would love to revisit in the future when the foliage is closer to its peak.

Generally, if you are already planning to visit nearby places in this northern area of Kyoto (like Shugakuin villa), I think Enko-ji is worth checking out. However, if you are relying on public transportation, getting there can be a bit time-consuming, as the nearest train stations still require a fair amount of walking.

We were staying at The Westin Miyako Hotel in eastern Higashiyama. On that day, we took a taxi to Enko-ji first thing in the morning, followed by another taxi to the Lake Biwa Canal Museum with a walk along Keage Incline. For a complete day, you can add Eikan-do and Nanzen-ji to the itinerary.