Shoshazan Engyo-ji Temple｜A scenic spot with a story at every turn

I went to Japan with a friend, and I didn't look at any guides, I just followed along. Himeji Castle wasn't part of the plan, but my friend heard that the maple leaves there were already red, so we went from Takamatsu to Okayama and then to Himeji Castle. Shoshazan Engyo-ji Temple is the filming location for the 2003 movie "The Last Samurai" starring Tom Cruise and the 2015 movie "The Assassin" directed by Hou Hsiao-hsien, which made this ancient temple known to the world. Shoshazan Engyo-ji Temple was founded by Shoku Shonin in 966. It takes less than 5 minutes to reach the temple by cable car from the foot of the mountain. Known as the "Mount Hiei of the West," the Maniden Hall enshrines the six-armed Nyoirin Kannon Bodhisattva, and it is said that the temple opens on January 18 every year for the Oni-oi (Demon Chasing) Festival. "Mani" is Sanskrit, and it is equivalent to the main hall of Engyo-ji Temple, which was built in the first year of the Tenroku era (970). It is said that before the temple was built, Shoku Shonin saw a celestial being worshiping a cherry tree, so he carved a statue of Kannon on the tree trunk with roots. He then built the Maniden Hall halfway up the mountain. The Maniden Hall is a stage-style building, using the "hanging construction method" technique, with giant wooden tenons fixed on the sloping columns. Although it looks top-heavy and precarious, it is precisely because of this that it generates a huge sense of awe, making people look up in admiration. Walking on the wooden floor of the Maniden Hall, there is a sense of traveling through time and space, as if you can hear the echoes of history. As you walk deeper into the temple, you will see the Garan landscape, which consists of three halls arranged in a "コ" shape. These are buildings from the Muromachi period (1336-1568), and the Daikodo Hall, Jikido Hall, and Jogyodo Hall are collectively known as the "Three Halls," which left me speechless with awe. 🔴Recommended visit time: Half a day Transportation: Take bus line 10 from Himeji Station (JPY 230, about 30 minutes to the foot of the mountain, transfer to the cable car (round-trip cable car ticket JPY 1,200), take the one-way bus up the mountain (JPY 500), and walk down the mountain. (There is a spot along the way where you can overlook the entire city of Himeji) 🔴The last bus down the mountain is at 4 pm～ 🔴The last cable car is at 5 pm (every 15 minutes) Kyoto☞Himeji Castle transportation: It takes one hour to get there from Kyoto by JR, and one day is enough time to visit. You can also check in at Himeji Castle, one of the three great castles of Japan, and Koko-en Garden to see the maple leaves at night.