Sōren-ji (宗蓮寺)

Sōren-ji (宗蓮寺)

Soren-ji (宗蓮寺) is a little known temple located along route 162, in the mountains north of Kyoto city. As a local temple it is not exactly mentioned in tourist books but it is worth a stop if you have a car to reach it. A walk from Kozan-ji or a bus trip is also possible but it's a lot of hassle for just a small temple. In autumn, however, the maple leaves cover the grounds and since the temple is not visited by hordes of tourists the leaf carpet remains beautiful for many days.

Also of interest, the main business in the area is timber and the valley is packed with workshops that can also provide interesting photo opportunities.

Recommended for: Access:

Nearest location: Kōzan-ji 高山寺 (3.1km)

External links: Kyoto Navi, 京都風光, Satellite view, Map

Keywords: Japan, 日本, Japon, Kyoto, 京都, 宗蓮寺, Soren-ji, temple, 寺院, 仏閣

Statistics: visited on 3 occasions, id 496, 8 photos (3 extra photos can be found in the archive).

Photos of Sōren-ji:

Stairs covered with fallen maple leaves at the entrance of Sōren-ji temple in the northern hills of Kyoto, Japan
Stone marker indicating the entrance of Soren-ji temple, Kyoto, Japan
Carpet of golden fallen autumn leaves in Soren-ji temple, Kyoto, Japan
Sunlit maple trees over the narrow stairs leading to Soren-ji temple, Kyoto, Japan
Traditional umbrella and tile roof header in Soren-ji, a remote temple in the mountains of Kyoto, Japan
Fiery autumn foliage surrounding the belfry of Soren-ji temple, Kyoto, Japan
Detail of a roof tile shaped like a demon head in Soren-ji temple in the mountains north of Kyoto, Japan