Muroji Temple 室生寺

Muroji Temple stands on Mt. Muro, where it has drawn the devoted for hundreds of years, despite being in an extremely remote location with limited access. Nestled in the trees is Muroji's ancient five story pagoda.

Experience the magical charm of the gorgeous temple, while soaking in the woodland atmosphere of a dense mountain forest.

Muroji is in a remote part of western Nara Prefecture , near the border with Mie Prefecture . Access to Muroji Temple is easiest from Kyoto or Osaka, via Muroguchi-Ono Station on the Kintetsu Line.

To get to Muroguchi-Ono Station from Kyoto, take the Kintetsu Line Yamato-Yagi (limited express). It will take one hour and 20 minutes. From Osaka, travel from Uehonmachi Station to Muro-guchi Ono Station by Kintetsu Osaka Line. It takes one hour.

From Muro-guchi Ono Station, Muroji Temple can easily be accessed by bus or taxi. Take one of the hourly buses from Muroguchi-Ono Station to Muroji-mae bus stop. The temple itself is quite remote, and the most distant part of the temple requires a bit of a walk to access.

At a time when access to Buddhist training was mainly restricted to men, Muroji was far more egalitarian. In fact, the temple began accepting female worshippers duiring the Kamakura Period (1185-1333). This earned it the nickname of the "woman's Koyasan," after the famous men-only monastery on Koyasan .

Today, the tranquil temple maintains its welcoming atmosphere of days' past. All visitors are invited to stroll the grounds of the temple and take in the natural beauty. Perhaps as a tribute to its history, even today, around 80% of its visitors are female.

This temple is the perfect place to explore when you want to get back to nature. The dense forest that surrounds you will strike any visitor with its beauty. As you look through the canopies, take notice of how well the wooden temple structures blend in with the surrounding woodland and wilderness.

Muroji is particularly well known for its beautiful spring flowers. At the peak of the rhododendron season, the temple is awash with glorious pink blooms.

After enjoying the grounds, don't forget to visit the National Treasures contained within the buildings. Enjoying both the beauty inside the temple, and its stunning natural surroundings will guarantee a fabulous day.

Plan to spend a full day to luxuriate in the experience of the temple and its surrounding forest environment.