On the ceiling of the lecture hall is a painting of a cloud dragon by the master painter Matazo Kayama in 1997. From December 10, 2012 to the end of March 2014, only the various halls (Daihojo, Shoin, and Tahoden) will be closed to visitors due to repair work on the main entrance and the temple kitchen.

It began about 1,200 years ago when Kobo Daishi Kukai built Gochisan Nyorai-ji Temple to hold a memorial service for abandoned dead bodies buried in Adashino, a place where people were forced to go to the open sky. Every year on the nights of August 23rd and 24th, a Sento Kuyo ceremony is held.

The head temple of the Daikakuji school of Shingon Buddhism. Its origins date back to the construction of the detached palace Saga-in by Emperor Saga. It was founded by Prince Kojaku Nyudo in 876 and has been a prestigious temple with successive emperors or members of the imperial lineage as its chief priests.

Sakanoue no Tamuramaro donated the temple to Enchin and built it. The three-story pagoda, the main hall known for its Kiyomizu stage, and the inner sanctuary form a magnificent temple complex on the middle slope of Mt. Otowa. This is the 16th temple of the Thirty-Three Kannon Temples of the Western Provinces. It is registered as a World Heritage Site.

It was built in 1606 by Hideyoshi Toyotomi's wife Nene to commemorate his soul. The original buildings from the temple's founding, such as the Kaisan-do Hall, the mausoleum, the moon viewing platform, and the teahouses Kasatei and Shiguretei, still remain. The beautiful garden is said to have been designed by Enshu Kobori.

This famous temple of the Rinzai sect was built in 1202 by Eisai, modeled after the great hall at Baizhang Mountain in China. The copper-roofed abbot's quarters are a magnificent sight. The "Wind God and Thunder God Screen" by Tawaraya Sotatsu (the permanent exhibit is a replica) is a national treasure.

A path along the canal that stretches from Wakaoji Shrine to Ginkakuji Temple, this is the walking path where one of Japan's leading philosophers, Nishida Kitaro, was lost in thought. It is known as a famous cherry blossom spot, and in spring, about 450 Somei-Yoshino cherry trees decorate the 2km path.

It boasts the status of a temple "above the five mountains," with a vast temple complex at the foot of Mt. Higashiyama. It was originally the villa of Emperor Kameyama, and is the head temple of the Rinzai sect of the Nanzenji school, founded by Mukan Fumon. Momiji is spectacular.

This temple is of the Myoshinji school of the Rinzai sect of Buddhism. It is famous for the rock garden on the south side of the abbot's chamber. Covered in white sand and surrounded by a Tsuji wall, the 250-square-meter garden has 15 rocks of various sizes arranged in the order of 52, 323.

Founded by Emperor Uda during the Heian period, this is the head temple of the Omuro school of Shingon Buddhism. It features numerous buildings and towers, including the national treasure Kondo Main Hall, the Niomon Gate on either side of which are enshrined statues of Kongorikishi, the palace, and the five-story pagoda.