Just north of Kurodani lies another temple famous for it’s autumn leaves: Shinnyo-do Temple. This is another temple that most tourists seem to miss, which is a shame, since the grounds are beautiful, especially in mid- to late-November when the leaves are at their peak. In fact, this entire neighbourhood is fascinating to walk around, as there are a lot of interesting buildings and little gardens that one can explore.

Of course, there is a cemetery here, but for once it actually took a backseat to exploring the temple grounds. As a photographer this was a real treat and I regret that I didn’t have a proper camera with me, only my iPhone. But having something is better than nothing, and I’m happy enough with the photos I took here. I’ll have to come back with my camera and better lenses to really explore this place fully.

When I was finally able to tear myself away from the beautiful photo ops the temple grounds provided, I explored the cemetery just to the right of the main hall. It’s a large rectangular area that basically rings one entire side of the temple complex. There were some interesting tombs here. I was particularly interested in a small pyramid of old gravestones that were at the back edge of the cemetery. I’m not sure what it was meant to represent, other than perhaps a way to deal with old (abandoned?) gravestones. Unfortunately some ground maintenance prevented me from fully exploring the area fully.

More details of the pyramid
The pyramid of small stones

Overall this was a lovely place to visit, and one I’m sure I’ll come back to again.

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Monuments: A few statues, lots of lichen-covered stones, and some interesting (newer) gravesites. It’s pretty crowded but easy to walk around.

Grounds: The cemetery here is on flat ground and well-maintained, but some of the inner paths are a little narrow and not as easily navigated. It’s pretty open so in the summer time be sure to have a hat or umbrella to protect your head.

Visitors: There were a few people in the cemetery, but most of the crowds were on the temple grounds, rightly so.

Photographer notes: Again, this is a beautiful location to visit in the fall, although there are no trees in the cemetery proper.

DETAILS

Cemetery: Shinnyodō Temple (真如堂)

Established: 984 CE, but like many other temples, was destroyed during the Onin Wars. Re-established on Mount Yoshida in 1693.

Location: It’s a five-minute walk from Kurodani, and about 20 minutes from Ginkakuji. You can take bus #5 from Kyoto station at Shinnyodo-mae stop (about 35 minutes + 5 minutes walking).

Hours: 09:00-16:00 daily. The grounds are free but you can pay to see the inner rooms and gardens of the main temple (500 yen) if you wish.