Osaka

Hokusetsu's Fiery Daruma Temple

An extraordinary illumination of autumn leaves

Justin Velgus Sep 26, 2014 - 1 min read

Around this time of the year twilight comes quickly! The mountain gate contrasts well with the darker background

Along the approach from the mountain gate to the two-storied pagoda, the trees are already illuminated a fiery red

The evening lanterns seem to emerge from the darkness

Next to the Nio statue (gate guardian) there are also Daruma dolls

An army of night lanterns line the walkway

The vermilion hue of the two-storied pagoda illuminated at night is nothing but beautiful

The evening lanterns are wrapped inside the lit up autumn leaves

A fantastic white smoke rises from the mountain gate's pond

Location: Meiji no Mori Minō Quasi-National Park (明治の森箕面国定公園) in Hokusetsu, Osaka

Katsuo Temple (勝運の寺), the temple of winner's luck

This national park is located in the relatively low mountainous region (100m-600m above sea level) of northern Mino City. It has long been famous for its autumn foilage and waterfalls. Katsuo Temple rests in the upper part of the national park, creating a vivid image when surrounded by the colors of autumn. I visited in 2013 at the end of November.

The special light up event at Katsuo Temple takes place from November 11th and finishes November 30th, so it does include the Labor Day Thanksgiving weekend holiday.

More info

Find out more about Katsuoji Temple.

Katsuoji Temple in Photos

Justin Velgus @justin.velgus

Justin Velgus (ジャスティンベルガス) is the Miyagi Prefecture expert for Japan Travel and a long-term contributor since 2012 with a focus on the Tohoku region. Justin has written extensively for JT, and other publications such as VisitMiyagi and Sake Today, amassing over 350 published articles...