Calm, hidden Beauty “Shosha Enmyoji Temple”
2019/05/30
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Shyosha-Zan Engyoji lies in on a scenic Mountain to the North-west of Himeji.
The journey from the Gahaha Guesthouse is just a few minutes and 270 Yen by the Number 8 Busfrom the Station opposite Otemon Gate.
Ariving at the final station you can already see the beautifull mountain and you get outright outside the Ropeway-Station.
The Ropeway goes every 15 Minutes during working hours and as it affourds a stunning view
over the forested mountain i’d advise to take it at least one way. It’s important to pay attention to the time of the last ride though, as time tends to fly on the mountain.
The other way starts behind the Rope-way-Station, You can simply follow the signs whichlead you first around the mountain for a bit and into a nearby part of Himeji City.
The Climb up is quite a march, if you know the way and take the direct route it’s even possible to run up but i would recommend taking your time and take one of the bamboo sticks that are offered in several spots along the way
as a walking stick.
If you’re a bit lucky you might even come past Japans smallest Lake, hidden away in a groove along the road.
Atop the mountain you exit near the other Rope Station and can follow the same route from there.
First you come past the ticket station from where you can take the bus to get to Maniden Temple,the biggest of the temples. But I’d relay advise you to walk on the road first you will see the bell-tower
where you can ring a bell for peace. Then, keeping to the left you walk along the winding Sagoku pilgrimage roadwhich affords you not only a couple of breathtaking viewpoints over the valley below but also leads you past about countless Statues of different Buddhas before you reach the Niomon Gate, which marks the official beginning of the holy grounds. Form there you enter deeper into the heart of the mountain,
You’ll probably come across the Engyoji hall on your way to Maniden Temple. That way you will descend for a bit, over a bridge and past the Tea-house to your right and get a stunning view of Maniden Temple from below.
The beautiful architecture and graceful artistry in evidence here is truly marvelous.
From here there are several routes you can take and a multitude of beautiful Temples, Shrines and other Buildings to see like the old, School and food Hall: Daikodo which houses a little bit of a museum, or the second bell-tower, All of which you can find on the different maps you can get or find along the side of the road but what left the most impact on me were the little sights i discovered by my self. Two shrines, One full of Kitsune-foxes, directly immediately behind Maniden Temple, the other one hidden away up a barely visible road that quickly turns into a deep path stepping over old roots.
A collection of hundreds Jizo statues on the side of a hill, a big Buddha statue, the countless little shrines
and graveyards strewn across the landscape.
The atmosphere and calm of Shyoshya-Zan Engyoji is something to behold and finding a place like this so close to the heart of Himeji is simply wonderful I can only recommend the trip.
Oh and If you want to take the Roapway just one way i recomend taking it on the way up and climbing down.
That way you can take a walk past the graveyard it’s behind a rather forbidding looking iron-net but that is just
to keep animals out. That way you can see another, more modern graveyard, and the connecting Temple, one that was specifically build for woman to worship at but has since opened to everybody, and there with a playground and a is beautifully Ilustrated Front Building.
(by simon 🙂 thank you!)
Budget hostel for backpackers Himeji 588 guesthouse
