During this year’s Kyoto Maple Leaf Viewing Trip, Piaor visited one of the must-visit maple leaf spots in Kyoto, the Rurikoin Temple. Rurikoin Temple is only open for two months in summer and two months in autumn when the courtyard is covered in new greenery and autumn leaves. When the beautiful red leaves in the courtyard are reflected on the long table, the scenery is so poetic and picturesque, especially if there aren’t too many people around!
Summary of Rurikoin Temple
Today, we will share with you the transportation methods, queue status, real on-site appearance, and recommended nearby attractions of the Rurikoin Temple.
- Transportation to Rurikoin Temple, Hase
- Opening Hours and Ticket Information for Rurikoin Temple, Hase
- Maple Leaf Reflection Photography at Rurikoin Temple, Hase
- More Beautiful Photo Spots at Rurikoin Temple, Hase
- Local Snacks near Rurikoin Temple, Hase
- Recommended Tourist Attractions near Rurikoin Temple, Hase
Transportation to Base Ruriko-in Temple in Hase
You can choose to take a tram or bus to get to the Ruriko-in Temple:
- Train: Take the Keihan Electric Railway or Kyoto City Bus to “Demachiyanagi Station”, then walk to “Eizan Electric Railway Demachiyanagi Station” and take the Eizan Main Line train to “Yase-Hieizanguchi Station”. Follow the signs and walk for 5 minutes.
- Bus: Take the Kyoto Subway to “Kokusai Kaikan Station”, then transfer to the Kyoto City Bus (heading towards Ohara/Kurama) and get off at “Yase Station Mae”. Follow the signs and walk for 7 minutes.
The fastest way is to take the Eizan Electric Railway directly. You can choose a trip according to the season. During the maple leaf season, you can use the Kansai Thru Pass and visit Tofukuji Temple along the Keihan Electric Railway. After playing at Kamogawa Jumping Turtle near Keihan Demachiyanagi Station, you can go to Rurikoin Temple. If you’re in a hurry, you can also take the cable car from the same station as Rurikoin Temple to Mount Hiei.
The detailed itinerary arrangement for the Eizan Electric Railway can be referred to: Eizan Electric Railway Sightseeing Transportation Guide
How to walk to Rurikoin after arriving at Hieizan-guchi Station in Yase?
The Hase-Hieizan-guchi Station of Eizan Electric Railway has only one exit. If you are heading to see the autumn leaves, just follow the crowd and walk straight across this wooden bridge after getting off the train.
After crossing the wooden bridge, there will be a sign for “Rurikoin” indicating a right turn. If you want to take the cable car up to Mount Hiei, turn left instead.
The area around the wooden bridge is very beautiful, and it should be very romantic during the peak season of maple leaves.
Opening Hours and Ticket Information for Basse Ruriko-in
- Address: 55 Kamitakano Higashiyama, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture
- Spring Opening Hours: April 15th to June 15th (varies each year, please refer to official website)
- Fall Opening Hours: October 1st to December 4th (varies each year, please refer to official website)
- Visiting Hours: 10:00~16:00 (closes at 16:30)
- Admission Fee: 2000 yen
Luriguang Temple is only open to visitors for four months a year, during the summer when the new leaves are green and the autumn when the leaves turn red. To protect the building, the temple is closed for the rest of the year. After turning right, walk for about 2 minutes and you will see a white tent ticket booth. However, during the maple leaf season, the crowds are extremely crowded. I arrived at 9:30am and thought that the temple was not yet open, but it turned out that they had opened early for the maple leaf season. Due to my miscalculation and late arrival, I had to wait in line for more than 20 minutes just to buy a ticket!
Since 2017, Rurikoin Temple has launched a “Night Special Worship” from 19:00 to 20:30. The number of visitors is limited every day, and it is only available for reservation from November to early December. It is divided into two sessions at 18:30 and 19:45. Everyone can check the latest information on the official website or search “Rurikoin Temple Night Special Worship” on Google.
Due to the large number of visitors, your visit time will be determined when you purchase your ticket. After purchasing your ticket, you cannot directly visit the Luliguangyuan. If there is still a long time before your designated entry time, you can take pictures of the maple leaves nearby. However, the time slot for Float is in the second batch, so you can directly queue up in the corresponding entry time waiting area next to the ticket booth. When the waiting time at the ticket booth is up, the staff will lead you to another waiting area at the entrance of the Luliguangyuan, which is the area shown in the picture below, and you will wait for about ten minutes.
▼ While waiting, I already had a bottom in my heart. Piao’er came on 11/24. The weather in Kyoto has been relatively hot these days, and there has not been a sudden cold snap that would turn the maple leaves red overnight, plus it rained. The maple leaves at the entrance of Rurikoin Temple have already withered…
It took an hour from buying the ticket to actually entering the gate of the Ruriko-in Temple. It was almost 11 o’clock when I finally got in, so I strongly recommend coming early and queuing up before 9 o’clock…
Bashen Rurikoin Maple Reflection Long Table Photography
When you arrive at the Liuli Guangyuan, follow the route to the main building. You will need to take off your shoes and there will be plastic bags available for you to store your shoes and keep them with you. Once inside, follow the tour route and start your visit from the second floor.
As soon as you reach the second floor, you can see an area for copying scriptures. The worshippers sit or kneel devoutly and copy the scriptures in silence. However, due to the overwhelming number of tourists during the peak season of maple leaves, it is difficult to experience the tranquility of copying scriptures in peace.
Behind the scripture transcription area is the crowded “2nd floor viewing hall”. The scene is in a chaotic state, with dozens of people all pressing against each other, pushing forward and then being pushed back, just to squeeze in front of the large table that must be photographed when viewing the maple leaves in the Rurikoin temple. In fact, the temple staff are directing the crowd, timing each round for ten seconds or maybe twenty to thirty seconds (I can’t remember exactly). When time is up, the tourists taking photos around the table must leave their seats and make way for the next round of visitors. The on-site experience is very bad. It is impossible to queue up properly and get close to the table, because all the people behind will push forward like the people in front. If you don’t push, you will always be on the outer circle. When you finally reach the middle layer, you will be in contact with everyone’s limbs, body, chest and back without any distance. When you finally squat down in front of the table, you may be tripped by the feet of the person behind you. It’s actually very dangerous!
▼ In short, this is the painful experience of Piao Er entering the big table. She waited for ten or twenty seconds with other photographers or people holding professional long lenses to take pictures. In fact, the outdoor garden maple leaves light will change, but only ten seconds cannot wait for the light to be at its best. When Piao Er entered the long table, it was already 11:30, and there was no light at that time. The whole maple leaves were dark, and the long lenses around kept extending towards the window, which would block the angle of the wide-angle lens. Therefore, the actual shooting angle was not very ideal.
Looking at the serene long table where everyone on the internet takes pictures of copying scriptures, reflecting the beautiful scenery of maple leaves or the summer of new greenery, there is always a longing feeling in the direction of the heart. I didn’t expect that it would be so chaotic on the spot. In fact, I was really dumbfounded. After Piao’er took the scenery, she immediately left the second floor. I feel that the Rurikoin Temple is not as quiet as a Buddhist temple… The main reason is that Piao’er chose to come during the Japanese national holiday and consecutive holidays. You ask me if the on-site tourists are mostly Japanese? A large proportion are indeed Japanese, and only a small proportion are Chinese. However, this crowded situation is very similar to the feeling of cramming into a train during peak hours in Tokyo, where you clearly can’t get in, but you have to squeeze in. Anyway, I don’t like it!
▼ Enjoy the maple leaves outside the window on the second floor
Garden of Words
After leaving the second floor, you can enjoy a cup of hot tea provided by the temple and then visit the first floor’s Garden of Glass in order. Although the Garden of Glass does not have the large area of maple leaves reflected on the long table on the second floor, the open garden space and the maple leaves reflected on the wooden floor are still very beautiful. As there are not many people here, you can savor the beauty of the Japanese-style garden even more.
After leaving the main building, there is a huge maple tree outside. Many Japanese photographers use their cameras to capture the Japanese maple red scenery here. Some photographers also communicate with Piaor about the angle of view, which is quite a special experience.
Perhaps because it was early in the peak season, this was the most beautiful moment for shooting the reflection of maple leaves on the desk of Director Lyu Liguang. In the afternoon, the light would shift to the west and not be as bright. There were too many people on site, and the ticket was super expensive at 2,000 yen, so Piaor felt the experience was not very good. If you can come during a non-peak period, please avoid the Japanese Golden Week!!! The Lyu Guang Institute is actually very beautiful.
Bashen Rurikoin Gaitou Snacks
After leaving Rurikoin, prepare to take the cable car on the left to visit Enryaku-ji Temple on Mt. Hiei!!! Before departing, grab some snacks from the temporary vendors to fill your stomach.
A very heartwarming red bean glutinous rice ball, and the ball itself is super large and chewy.
A pretty decent cola cake.
Sitting on a bench, eating Japanese snacks and watching maple leaves, this is the maple viewing trip in Piaoer’s heart!
More Kyoto and Osaka Maple Viewing Spots
- Famous maple viewing spots in Kyoto: Eikando Zenrinji Temple, Tofukuji Temple, Eizan Electric Railway Maple Tunnel, Jojakkoji Temple
- Maple viewing information and resources: Kyoto and Osaka Maple Viewing Information/Ginkgo & Top 10 Kyoto and Osaka Maple Leaf Spots Guide
Recommended Tourist Attractions for the Ruri Koin Temple
During the maple leaf season, it is recommended to visit Rurikoin and also take a trip to Mount Hiei, which is also located at the end of the Eizan Electric Railway at Yase-Hieizanguchi Station. When you come out of the station and cross the bridge, turn right to reach Rurikoin, or turn left to take the Hieizan cable car from Yase Station to see the beautiful maple leaves at Hieizan Enryakuji Temple!
How to Enjoy Mount Hiei: Mount Hiei Cable Car Transportation, Introduction to the East Tower of Enryaku-ji Temple, Yokawa of Enryaku-ji Temple on Mount Hiei
More recommended attractions along the Eizan Electric Railway
In addition to the Rurikoin and Mt. Hiei along the Eizan Electric Railway main line, the Eizan Electric Railway’s “Kurama Line” also has attractions such as the Maple Leaf Tunnel, Kifune Shrine, and Kurama Temple. If you are interested, you can also play all the way from Demachiyanagi:
- What to do at Demachiyanagi, the first station of Eizan Electric Railway: [Kyoto Kamo River Walk] Jumping Turtles at Demachiyanagi Station
- Kyoto’s Super Romantic Shrines: Kifune Shrine and Kurama Temple Day Trip
Travel Guide for the Kyoto-Osaka Area
- Kyoto Itinerary Planning: [Kyoto Travel Guide] How to Plan Your Kyoto Trip
- Kyoto Attractions Recommendation: [Kyoto Attractions] 15 Must-Visit Kyoto Day Trip Attractions
- Osaka Itinerary Planning: [Osaka Travel Guide] Complete Guide to Planning Your Osaka Trip
- Osaka Attractions Recommendation: [Osaka Attractions] Fun and Must-Visit Tourist Attractions for Your Osaka Day Trip
- How to Enjoy Arashiyama: [Arashiyama Day Trip] Beautiful Walking Route and Must-Visit Attractions in Arashiyama