Iyama Hofukuji Temple

Stunning in autumn

We visited here during peak color and it was well worth the effort. Soja is a good day trip by train from Okayama or it can be visited whilst biking the Kibi Plain. When we biked the Kibi plain a wh...

Breath-taking view of autumn leaves

From Soja train station, we went by taxi to this temple, not far about 2.5 km cost less than 1,000 yen. We advise you to tell taxi driver to pick you up after atleast 3 hrs because there is no taxi st...

Beautiful Gardens

We were some of the only people at this lovely temple, so it was a pleasure to stroll through the various gardens and see the elegant buildings. The temple offers Zen lessons, but we did not participa...

Here, time passes slowly.

Original Text

It is a small and quiet Zen temple. It seems that Sesshu practiced when he was a child. After all, the three-storied pagoda was good. There is plenty of parking lot. There are no tea shops or shops.

Year 々, fresh やか

Original Text

　I visited on November 14, 2020, and the autumn leaves were in full bloom. This is not a type in which the autumn leaves of tall trees cover the whole mountain, and it is a type in which the autumn leaves are not tall but are splendid at key points. The Buddhist temple seen from the mountain gate is good. Two giant trees are the best stage equipment. The five-storied pagoda is also good. The vermilion paint of the tower and the autumn leaves seem to compete with each other. The parking lot and entrance fee are free, but on holidays when the autumn leaves are in full bloom, there is a line waiting for the parking lot. However, it is recommended to wait because the rotation is relatively fast.