Arashiyama's Hidden Gems: Gioji Moss Garden & Otagi Nenbutsuji (2026)

A recommended spot to visit in Arashiyama:

Giouji, the Moss Garden

ⓒText & Photos by Ttakugi 2025

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Hello everyone,

Today, I'll be sharing my experience at

Giouji, famous for its moss garden, a hidden gem of a tourist attraction

in Kyoto that isn't too crowded.

And I'll also introduce a wonderful spot to visit alongside it:

the temple that served as the backdrop for Spirited Away,

Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple.

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Location

📍Giouji

32 Sagatoriimoto Kozakacho, Ukyo Ward, Kyoto, 616-8435 Japan

📍Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple

2-5 Sagatoriimoto Fukatanicho, Ukyo Ward, Kyoto, 616-8439 Japan

From Hankyu Arashiyama Station or

JR Saga Arashiyama Station,

they are located about a 16-minute walk away.

The path from Arashiyama Bamboo Grove is

serene and beautiful, so I recommend adding them to your itinerary

and visiting them.

Admission Fee

✔️Adults: 300 JPY (~$2)

✔️Students: 100 JPY (~$1)

Cash only!

Please have cash ready.

Opening Hours

🔴Daily

9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

(Last admission 4:30 PM)

Our Visit Experience

Giouji is

a quiet temple about a 15-minute walk from Arashiyama Bamboo Grove.

It's small and charming enough to explore in about 30 minutes, but

its unique feature is the mosses that make you feel like you're in a forest –

something you won't see in other large temples.

Various types of mosses

are meticulously cared for by hand,

making them feel like a wonderfully soft carpet.

You'd imagine it would be incredibly cozy to lie down on!

Moreover, just like Arashiyama Bamboo Grove,

this is also an area where bamboo grows naturally,

so behind the moss garden,

a dense bamboo forest thrives.

If you visit in the morning,

the sunlight filtering through the bamboo onto the mosses

creates a truly mystical scene.

To protect these meticulously maintained mosses,

you can't step directly into the garden,

but even just looking at it,

you can feel its soft texture.

Isn't it absolutely stunning

how the sunlight streams through the trees?

In the middle, you'll find

information about the types of mosses in the garden,

along with their descriptions.

The one that caught our eye the most was the one on the far right,

which looked like velvet.

If you move further inside,

There's a small temple building

where you can go right in

and offer your prayers.

By chance, we had the opportunity

to see someone meticulously tending to the moss garden.

They were hand-removing even the tiniest weeds,

one by one.

Thanks to such dedication,

it truly dawned on us how such a warm and inviting garden is maintained.

That's what we realized.

And as I mentioned earlier,

around the moss garden,

there's a lush bamboo forest,

just like Arashiyama's Chikurin,

where you can capture some beautiful 'life shots' (perfect Instagram photos)

with the bamboo forest as your backdrop.

Since it's a quiet spot without too many people,

you can easily avoid the bustling crowds

and even get some great solo photos! Haha.

Places to Visit Nearby

'Otagi Nenbutsu-ji Temple'

This is a place we had 'bookmarked' to visit,

a tourist spot near Arashiyama.

Unfortunately, the Wednesday we planned to go

was their closing day,

so we had to save it for next time.

It's a temple famous for over 1,200 small Buddha statues,

each with a unique expression

and posture, which looked incredibly fun to explore.

I definitely plan to visit it on my next Kyoto trip,

and I think it would be a perfect addition to an itinerary with Gioji Temple.

Recommended Arashiyama Itinerary

​

Brunch at a cafe near Arashiyama

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Tenryu-ji Temple Garden

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Arashiyama Chikurin Bamboo Grove

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(15-min walk) Gioji Temple & Moss Garden

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(15-min walk) Otagi Nenbutsu-ji Temple

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Slowly make your way back towards Arashiyama Station

for a break & lunch

<Arashiyama Half-Day Travel Course>

In the next post,

I'll be introducing some great brunch spots

around Arashiyama that we discovered during our Kyoto trip.

Follow along and hit like

to get updates on our Osaka & Kyoto travel adventures!

🔽Journey through Arashiyama Chikurin's beautiful pond gardens and bamboo forest, and Tenryu-ji Temple🔽

🔽 Kyoto Onsen Accommodation Recommendations We'd Love to Visit Again 🔽