6 Sights & Landmarks in Kiyama-cho That You Shouldn't Miss

Reviewed By hfot2 - Vermont, United States

We came to see autumn foliage and there is plenty of it here. 127 steep steps take you up to the temple. We had to wait a while at the bottom to be able to take a photo with no people on the stairs. A magnificent tree right behind the torii at the top of the stairs is worth some time. The temple grounds did not seem to be very big at first, so we began photographing and taking our time on the trees around the complex. Then we found the entrance to the temple garden (¥600 per person). Another long set of stairs straight up brought us to the trees we had photographing from below. A small pagoda sits at the top of the stairs and there are stunning maples along the side of the stairs and behind the pagoda - another long wait for a photograph without people. Daikozenji is better known for azaleas than autumn colors and the round azalea bushes must be spectacular in season. The autumn colors are pretty spectacular too, but there seem to be more green azalea bushes than red momiji. Maps of the garden with “You Are Here” signs are located all over. The garden at first seemed intimidatingly complex, but in fact it revealed itself to be not overlarge, with bits and pieces of paths which are sometimes only a few dozen paces long. We took one path up and another down. Along the paths are a few rest stops and some small out buildings, including one with an interesting light display and another with photographs of Buddhist statues. There is a sweet little pond with a torii in it framing a tiny shrine on the other bank. Several small waterfalls add to the scenery. Visitor tips: Access by train from JR Hakata Station to JR Kiyama Station, about 23 minutes. A special bus then connects Kiyama Station to Daikozenji, about 10 minutes. Be sure to get a schedule of the times for the return train. The bus is in service only during the full bloom season of azaleas (late April-early May) and during the blooming of maple leaves (November 18-27). When the bus drops you off, take a photo of the posted schedule for the return trip to the station: in 2019 it was a simple five-of-the-hour and twenty-five-after-the-hour. If you get hungry there is a smallish restaurant selling very good udon. It is located in an out building in the garden near one of the ponds. In front of the restaurant is a long table where they sell matcha and mochi. Restrooms are next to the restaurant.