“One of the most picturesque temples of Kyoto when comes the fall”
This beautiful and peaceful temple is a true gem located in the north east part of the city at the bottom of Mount Hiei. Note that it is only open to the public twice a year, in the Fall and the Spring.
The rather large temple complex is surrounded by beautiful nature and features several notable landmarks such as its beautiful entrance, the Japanese-style gardens “Ruri no Niwa” and “Garyo no Niwa”, the drawing room “Shoin”, the teahouse “Kikaku-tei” and more.
Ruriko-in Temple is famous for the iconic scenery from the second floor of the Shoin building, displaying colorful fall foliage from the open window. There is a large lacquered black table in the room which works as a mirror and reflects the fall leaves scenery, creating a breathtaking image. This view of the reflected leaves is called “Yuka Momiji” (Yuka is the Japanese word for floor and Momiji is the Japanese word for maple).
