Rurikoin Temple Autumn Leaves 2026 Confirmed
瑠璃光院の紅葉 — Kyoto (Kansai)
- Typical peak
- Nov 15 – Sat, December 5, 2026
- Venue
- Rurikoin Temple, Yase, Kyoto
- Official site
- rurikoin.komyoji.com
Rurikoin is the temple behind the reflection photo all over social media: upstairs in the study hall, maples outside the window mirror across black lacquered writing desks, doubling the foliage into a floor-to-ceiling wall of red. The moss garden below is nearly as good. It opens to visitors only in spring and autumn — the 2026 autumn season is planned for October 1 to December 13 — with color peaking from mid-November to early December. There is no night illumination, but the nearby Eizan Railway "maple tunnel" is lit after dark in season.
Background
The building began as a Meiji- and Taisho-era villa in Yase, a valley long favored as a noble retreat, with a strolling garden attributed to the celebrated gardener Ogawa Jihei. It later became a temple of the Komyo-ji Pure Land lineage, and its name refers to lapis lazuli, the jewel of the Buddha's paradise.
Getting there
Take the Keihan Line or City Bus 17 to Demachiyanagi, then the Eizan Railway to Yase-Hieizanguchi, about 15 minutes; the temple is a 5-minute walk along the river. From Kyoto Station allow about an hour total. The lit-up maple tunnel is further up the Eizan line toward Kurama.
Tips
- Admission is ¥2,000 — Kyoto's most expensive temple ticket — but it includes the run of a small, carefully managed building, and entry numbers are capped, so it never feels like Tofuku-ji.
- During the foliage peak (roughly mid-November to early December) entry usually switches to advance reservation or lottery — check the official admission page months ahead and book the moment slots open.
- The famous desk-reflection room is small and shooting is from behind the desks only; visit on a bright morning for the strongest reflection and be ready to wait your turn for the front row.
- Make a half day of the Yase-Kurama corridor: Rurikoin in the morning, then the Eizan train onward to Kifune Shrine, whose lantern-lit maples peak on the same schedule.
Frequently asked questions
- When is the best time to see Rurikoin Temple Autumn Leaves?
- Autumn color at Rurikoin Temple Autumn Leaves typically peaks from Nov 15 – Dec 5. Exact timing shifts year to year with the weather, so check a real-time foliage forecast close to your trip.
- Where is Rurikoin Temple Autumn Leaves, and how do you get there?
- Rurikoin Temple Autumn Leaves is located at Rurikoin Temple, Yase, Kyoto in Kyoto. Take the Keihan Line or City Bus 17 to Demachiyanagi, then the Eizan Railway to Yase-Hieizanguchi, about 15 minutes; the temple is a 5-minute walk along the river. From Kyoto Station allow about an hour total. The lit-up maple tunnel is further up the Eizan line toward Kurama.
Last verified against the official source: Mon, July 6, 2026
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