[Photos] Autumn Colors at Kotokuji Temple

I’ve just added a new batch of photos, this time from a trip to Kotokuji Temple (廣徳寺) in Akiruno, Tokyo, and you can see them here.

If you haven’t heard of this place, you’re not alone. Hidden in the forested hills in the western part of Tokyo, Kotokuji feels like it belongs to a different era entirely. I could easily imagine it as a set for one of those TV dramas set in the Edo period. The main hall and the two gates (the outer one and the sanmon gate) still have thatched roofs, which is something you rarely see at temples nowadays. Kotokuji was founded in 1373 (that’s over 650 years ago) and belongs to the Rinzai Zen school.

The main reason I visited now, in late November, was for the autumn colors. The scenery was amazing. Two massive ginkgo trees dominate the approach, standing in the courtyard right where you enter through the sanmon gate, and they drop so many leaves that the ground turns into a thick yellow carpet. Set against the vivid reds and greens of the surrounding trees, and a clear blue sky, the contrast was absolutely spectacular.

The temple grounds have been designated a historic landmark by the Tokyo government. Getting here takes some effort. It’s about a 25-minute walk from Musashi-Itsukaichi Station, through countryside neighborhoods and a bit of uphill terrain. Hard to believe this is still Tokyo!