Small but stunning. On a sunny day, the array of rich greens are out of this world. Soft mossy carpet looks fantastic against the bark and sharp leafy canopy above. It's out of the way so there's no sound - so serene, beautiful to amble through slowly with only your calm thoughts and the sounds of nature
Small but cute temple, the gardens around are the real highlight. Moss garden cute and peaceful. Much nicer to visit as little to no crowds, very different experience.
Honestly a bit underwhelming compared to some temples I've visited (such as Tofukuji in Kyoto). The moss garden is totally gorgeous but the whole area is quite small and the proximity to Arashiyama means it was pretty crowded. If you're going, I'd recommend planning to visit a few other nearby sights as it's probably not worth it to come all the way to Arashiyama for Gioji alone. Beautiful though!
One of the most unique Temples I’ve visited. It’s quite small, so manage your expectations. Despite its size, it’s an absolute must-visit. There’s barely any crowd, the moss landscape is mesmerizing, and there’s a small exhibit of the types of moss that they use. You can also take a rest inside the main building which has a traditional Japanese layout.
One of my important request to wife was being able to go to a moss garden. Whenever I see pictures of moss gardens in Japan, it always left me in awe. The place we chose to go is Gioji Temple. This place is not big at all, but wow definitely satisfied my interested in attending a moss garden. It was quite the trek to get here. Likely due to that reason, there was barely anyone there. While we do enjoy that, its important to go to visit! (there is a small entrance fee, which is important to keep up with maintenance in this garden!). Here in this video you’ll get to hear someone sweeping in the background, trying to keep the place spotless for only the moss to be seen. You can tell how quiet and serene this place can be. So much so that you can hear the fountain trickling away.
Overall Kel rating: ★★★★★/5
The good: Moss gardens are amazing, great picture moments.
The decent: Can be a trek walking here.
The ugly: Its a small temple (wish it was bigger but hey still worth it to go!)