Ishiyamadera Night Maple

Ishiyama-ji Temple located in Otsu Prefecture is the main temple of the Shingon sect of Buddhism. It was built in the Heian period and is dedicated to the Nyishikawa Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, the only imperial Buddha in Japan. It is a famous religious place in Japan for viewing plum blossoms, cherry blossoms, azaleas, red maples and the moon. The entire temple is large in area, with historical buildings such as the east gate, shrine, main hall, and Duobao Pagoda scattered along the mountain. Due to its large area, the viewing time of Ye Feng is also longer than that of other temples. In 2024, it will be from November 15 to December 1, 17:30-21:00 every day. The fee is 1,000 yen for adults and 500 yen for children. The pedestrian open area for night viewing is approximately half of the daytime open area. This temple is known as the place where Murasaki Shikibu wrote The Tale of Genji. If you are a loyal fan of Murasaki Shikibu, it is recommended that you visit during the day, because the hillside area of ​​​​Wuyou-en where the Murasaki Shikibu statue is located is not open to Ye Feng. After getting off at Keihan Electric Railway's Ishiyamaji Station, you can walk to Ishiyamaji Temple in 10 minutes. The tram lines are seamlessly connected to the JR Tokaido Main Line, and you can transfer to Kyoto, Osaka and other places.