Kyoto · Northern Higashiyama · Japan

Saishō-in Oku-no-in Temple

shrinehidden waterfallforest trailgoogle verified

moderate

9/10

best: morning, weekday

mysterious, spiritual, wild, solitary

A local would say...

Most visitors stop at the famous gate — the hidden waterfall shrine just behind it sees almost no one.

A small shrine hidden in a forested hollow behind the main precinct of Nanzen-ji, missed by most visitors. To reach it, follow the road parallel to the red-brick aqueduct up into the hills, passing through the free subtemple of Kōtoku-an, then climb steps into the woods until you reach a waterfall in a beautiful mountain glen. Pilgrims sometimes stand under the falls in winter as a spiritual practice.