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Home - Question Forum
Daigoji Temple, Kyoto visit
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Dear visitor, if you know the answer to this question,
please post it. Thank you!

Daigoji Temple, Kyoto visit 2009/10/13
Kyoto City
Interested in visiting Daigoji Temple in Kyoto. Please advise whether it is worth visiting this site and how many hours we should plan for to cover the site. How is the best way to reach Daijoji from Kyoto Station using JR pass.

Thank you.

by Tohachi (guest)  

... 2009/10/13
Whether or not it is worth visiting seems to me to be a personal decision. However, having said that, since it is a World Heritage Site; something there must be worthwhile. Check it out for yourself at:

http://www.daigoji.or.jp/index_e.html

and here:

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3916.html

It's rated a 4.07 out of 5 by site users.

by geogeek1 rate this post as useful

Daigoji 2009/10/13
I think Daigoji is well worth the visit. It's one of my personal favorite temples in Japan. If you are visiting in the autumn or during the cherry blossom season, it is especially beautiful!

The complex is rather large, and there are actually 4 parts. There is the garden (Shosoin), the museum, Shimo-Daigo, and Kami-Daigo. To see the garden and Shimo-Daigo, I would designate 2 hours. If you are going to see all 4, then I would make it a half-day trip. It is one of Kyoto's world heritage sites, but one of the lesser visited ones, so it is not so crowded normally.

Daigoji is best reached by subway.

From Kyoto Station, you will travel on the Biwako Line to Yamashina Station. At Yamashina Station, you will change lines to the Subway Tozai Line heading towards Rokujizo. You will get off at Daigo Station and walk to Daigoji Temple.

by Rabbityama rate this post as useful

One more note 2009/10/13
Follow the directions I've listed. The directions on this website incorrectly instruct you to go to the end of the Tozai Line. That is WRONG. Daigoji's stop is 3 stops from the end. If you go to the end, it will take more than 15 minutes to backtrack to Daigoji!
by Rabbityama rate this post as useful

Daigoji and Southern Kyoto 2009/10/25
I just added the Daigoji on my to-visit-list and need your help on the visiting order.

I plan to spend the whole day in South Kyoto.
Visiting Fushimi Inari Shrine, Byodoin in Uji and the Daigoji Temples.

What is the best route to visit this places as they are all far away from each other?

I don't know how much time I'll spend in the Trains/Subway? Is there anyplace I should add (or will I have time to visit an other place?)

by JapanTra rate this post as useful

Hmm... 2009/10/25
Fushimi Inari Shrine, Byodoin in Uji and the Daigoji Temples

These sites are not so far apart, actually.

Whether or not you can add other sites to the list will depends a lot on how thoroughly you want to see them.

For example:
-At Daigoji, do you just want to see the temple complex or do you want to see the garden and museum? (or a combination of 2) You can spend 2 hours there just seeing the temple and garden.

-At Fushimi Inari, do you want to just see the main shrine and some of the torii gate rows or do you want to walk the entire path up the hill/mountain? If you want to see everything, it is probably a good idea to assume you will spend 2.5-3 hours there. If you just want to see some torii gates, the shrine, and then head back to the station, you may only need 1 hour or so.

-Byodoin includes the temple and temple musem. How long it takes to see everything will depend on whether or not you want to enter the temple, and when the next available guided tour begins (you must sign up for a time slot after you arrive in order to enter the temple. Otherwise, you can walk around it.)

I would probably not plan much else.

You will need to take the subway (Daigo Station) or bus to Daigoji Temple. Uji and Fushimi Inari can be reached by train on the Keihan Railway or JR Line.

There are a few ways you could do this, and since the trains/subway overlap, for time constraints, I would see Fushimi Inari last, because it does not close.

If you think you will have more time, then going to Uji last would be good, because most of the sites are within easy walking distance of the Byodoin.

by Rabbityama rate this post as useful

guided tour in Byodoin 2009/10/25
Thanks Rabbityama, your really helpful.

I want to take my time visiting this places, because the other 2 days in Kyoto will be quite rushed.
I guess I'll easyly spend 2-3 hours in Daigo-ji in the moring.
I'll head to Byodoin next, do you know the schedule of the guided tours in Byodoin? Are they held in English as well?
Maybe I'll stay there for awhile as Uji has some other nice places to visit.

About Fushimi Inari, is it light up? Or will it be dark after sunset. I'm actually more interested in the uncountable torii's there, but if I'm already there I can walk arround a bit as well.
By what time should I be there in to have enoght time to visit the shrine and walk arround a little before it gets dark (in mid october)? 4-5 o'clock?

by JapanTra rate this post as useful

Okay 2009/10/25
I don't think the shrine is lit up at night. The torii are behind the actual shrine and they lead up the mountain, so in order to walk through them, you have to go up a bit, but you do not have to travel so much of the trail to do that.

The tours are short at Byodoin: about 15-20 minutes apart. If it is busy, though, you may have to wait 30-40 minutes. They are in Japanese only. You only go into the main hall (that's really all there is), and you can see the giant Buddha up close and the intricate art on the walls. That is what you will see if you sign up to go inside.

by Rabbityama rate this post as useful

Time 2009/10/25
Oh, about the time. I would try to be at Fushimi Inari around 3:30. I think that would give you time to see what you want to see before it gets dark.

If you spend 2 hours at the Byodoin in the morning and then 2-3 hours at Daigoji mid-day, I think you could manage to do this. It would be best to arrive at the Byodoin near the time it opens.

by Rabbityama rate this post as useful

daigoji and tofokuji 2009/10/25
Hi Rabbityama
this thread is of great interest for us as we are also planning Daigoji, and Fushimi Inari (where we have been before: just want to show my cousin the torii tunnel to the first level, so maybe only an hour there) and are hoping to add in Tofokuji for the autumn colours. Is this a reasonable day, given we are staying in Osaka?
Thanks
by fmj rate this post as useful

haha 2009/10/25
Wow! So much interest in Daigoji. It must be the leaves! Daigoji is amazing when the leaves are changing!

Anyways, Tofukuji Temple is a large complex, but many of the sub-temples are not even open to outsiders, so for visiting the main temple (and the accompanying museum, if you wish), I think you will need at least an hour. It may also be crowded, because it's a popular place to view the autumn foliage.

I think you could see these 3 sites from Osaka, but like the above itinerary, I would recommend trying to arrive early at the first destination.

If you use Keihan Railway, both Tofukuji Temple and Fushimi Inari are accessible on the same line. As stated above, Daigoji can be reached by subway or bus from Rokujizo Station. I would probably visit Fushimi Inari and Tofukuji as a set, since they are so close.

According to this website, Daigoji closes at 5 and Tofukuji closes at 4, so I would go to Tofukuji and Fushimi Inari first and then spend the remainder of your time in Daigoji. That would optimize your sightseeing time.

by Rabbityama rate this post as useful

Lunch in Daigo? 2009/10/25
Is it importend to go to Byodo-in in the morning? How crowed would you discribe it during the day, let'say lunch time?

I'll stay near the Kyoto trainstain. So taking the train to Yamashima and the mertro from there to Daigoji and heading to Byodoin and back to Fushimi Inari is the most direct way. Uji seems to be a nice place to have lunch as well. But if you really recommend my to do Byodoin first I'll do it first. If so has Daigo Eki some food stalls to get a takewaway lunch?

by JapanTra rate this post as useful

Sounds Good! 2009/10/26
Your plan sounds good. I don't remember much (if any) restaurants around Daigoji. There were a few food stalls that I think are only there during the autumn and spring.

Uji has a decent variety of restaurants, so that would be a good time to eat lunch.

by Rabbityama rate this post as useful

thanks 2009/10/26
Thanks Rabbityama: I have a burning need to take the classic Daigoji photo: vermillion bridge and Bendoin(?), and have never had the time to get there before, so this time I'm MAKING time!!
Your info is very helpful: many thanks: we will use JR to get to Kyoto, and a Surrutto prepaid card from there so that's sorted.
Again, thanks heaps.
by fmj rate this post as useful

Bentendo not Bendoin 2009/10/26
Apologies: I mean Bentendo.
by fmj rate this post as useful

Have a Good Time! 2009/10/26
You won't be disappointed. I was also shocked at how beautiful the Sanboin Garden is. Unfortunately, pictures are forbidden in the garden (and when I was there, they had people watching everyone to make sure no pictures were taken).

Daigoji Temple is one of my personal favorite temples, so I like it when others go, too. I think it's much more popular with Japanese than foreigners. When I was there, I was the only non-Japanese.

Have a great time!!

by Rabbityama rate this post as useful

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