Kyoto temple autumn illuminations

With more than a dozen temples lighting up across Kyoto, it's hard to choose 2 or 3. What are your favorites and why?

Hi! I've actually only been to one, but I've seen several others on social media, so I'll just share with you my experiences and opinion.

I visited the Kiyomizu-dera Autumn Light-Up in November 2019, and from what I remember, it was quite enjoyable (with no extra costs aside from the entrance fees).

I'm not sure which temples and shrines have them this year, but from my understanding, To-ji, Byodo-in (Uji), and Fushimi Inari Taisha have rather spectacular lightings. You can try to see if they are still available this year.

Hope that helps :))

Eikan-do!

Lighting up Kiyomizu-dera Temple is my favorite!

"The autumn scenery of Kiyomizu-dera itself is of course beautiful but it's not as outstanding as that of other places, such as Eikan-do or some temples in Takao." That WAS my initial impression.

However, in the case of the illumination, it was a different story. When they illuminated Kiyomizu-dera, I was so impressed and thought it IS so special because of the three-dimensionality of the view, despite the crowd. I especially adore the view from below the "stage."