Sankoji Temple

On the slope of Mt. Kamose southwest of Kyoto, Sankoji commands an elevated view that takes in the Higashiyama mountains, Mt. Hiei, the Kitayama range, and the cities of Uji and Kizugawa. The temple dates to 1074 and was revived in 1213 by Shoku, founder of the Seizan schools of Buddhism, who named it after the three-pronged vajra ritual object that the mountains behind it resemble. In 1951 it became the head temple of an independent Seizan school. The grounds are particularly visited in autumn when maple foliage turns. Sankoji is a short walk from Yoshiminedera Temple, making both easy to visit in a single outing.