Kōsan-ji Temple

Kōsan-ji is a Buddhist temple in the mountain village of Takao, surrounded by towering cedar trees and woodland. Its main draw is the Choju jinbutsu giga, a set of animal handscrolls often linked to the history of manga. The temple grounds also include Sekisui-in, with a garden backed by the hillside, and a quiet tea room. The buildings have sustained typhoon damage and are undergoing restoration. Come for the artworks and forest setting, especially when autumn leaves colour the route beside the Hozu River.

The Choju jinbutsu giga handscrolls

Kōsan-ji is closely associated with the Choju jinbutsu giga, a set of animal handscrolls that gives the temple a place in Japan’s cultural history. The manga exhibit is a central reason to visit. Look for the animals depicted in the scrolls and take time to consider the work in the context of the temple’s older religious and artistic setting.

Kōsan-ji was founded in the early Heian period and reconstructed during the Kamakura period. Its historic works are more compelling than the scale of its buildings, so plan your visit around the artworks as well as the grounds.

Sekisui-in and the woodland grounds

The temple grounds sit among tall cedar trees in Takao, a mountain village. A group of temple buildings surrounds an old tea plantation, giving the visit a quiet, wooded feel. Sekisui-in is among the buildings to seek out; its garden looks toward the hillside.

A tea room provides a place to experience traditional tea in a calm setting. The site has sustained damage from typhoons, and restoration work is ongoing. The surrounding mountain scenery remains part of the visit, with autumn foliage adding colour along the route beside the Hozu River.