What other travelers are saying about Chikurinji Temple
MUST VISIT THIS PLACE DURING THE FALL!
It's the MOST GORGEOUS temple of all the 88 temples in Shikoku, especially if you like autumn leaves and dislike big crowds.
The temple is a perfect place to wander about and to take photos everywhere. It's huge, and needs about 1.5 to 2 hours to completely explore, including the Skydeck that's a 5-min walk from the main entrance.
We arrived here at 10am on a weekday in mid-Dec and were blown away at how peaceful this place was and how GORGEOUS the autumn fall leaves were... just look at my photos!
We spent 2 weeks visiting >10 temples across the island and was stunned at how lovely the autumn leaves were here.
Parking is also free which is an added bonus. This place will forever leave great memories in my heart... such a special and serene place to reflect, pray and to take photos.
Come here during the fall... if you love the autumn leaves and want to get good photos, you must NOT MISS this temple!
There are various accommodation options in Kochi City, ranging from hotels to traditional ryokan inns. Some visitors also stay in temple lodgings (shukubo) offered by nearby temples.
You can reach Chikurinji Temple by taking a bus from Kochi Station to the Godaisan stop, followed by a short walk. Alternatively, you can drive or take a taxi.
Chikurinji Temple is beautiful year-round, but many visitors particularly enjoy the spring cherry blossoms and the autumn foliage. Each season offers a unique experience.
The temple grounds include some steps and uneven paths, which may pose challenges for wheelchair users. However, efforts are made to accommodate visitors with mobility issues, so it's best to contact the temple in advance for specific accessibility information.
About 30-min bus ride from Kochi station, the place has the unique ambiance of a Japanese Buddhist temple that is pleasantly quiet and calm. If you plan to use My Yu Bus ticket (a day ticket for Yu Bus and Kochi tram), it is definitely worth coming up here after exploring Kochi city area.
There is a special exhibition of paintings to celebrate the 1300th anniversary of the Temple. The sound system is bearly audible, perhaps to enjoy only in solitude. The little garden nearly looks like a painting, too.
The Temple itself has nice setting. A pity the great Buddha images were cordoned off so one can only seen them from quite a distance.
The other Buddha images are outdoor, and one can see them closely.
Beautiful grounds with very little foot traffic which makes getting pictures very easy. The pagoda is located on a hill to the east of Kochi. The road up is by way of a narrow, winding road. It is one way which makes it less stressful.
There is parking on the down slope after the observation deck parking area so there isn’t really a need to walk down to the pagoda from there.
