Katsuoji

Hands down our best temple experience in Japan. We went early (8am) and had the entire temple to ourselves. We loved how interactive this temple experience was- you go through the visitors route stopping at stamps along the way that help you create your own Daruma take home artwork. The gardens were all in bloom and pristinely kept. The staff were friendly and offered to take our pictures- there are multiple unique photo opps. The mountain scenery is gorgeous and the koi pond is teeming with colourful fish. The icing on the cake is the thousands of Daruma dolls everywhere that make this temple feel somewhere in between a holy site and an art installation. Go early, skip the bus and take a taxi from Minoh Kayana station- almost the same price anyway!

This was a very beautiful temple and it was fun to see all the daruma everywhere. You can buy some to add or take home or both. You have to hike up a little in the temple before, but it’s worth it to see the beautiful views. They accept both cash and card When you get off at the train station, you can take a direct bus to the temple. It is 800 yen both ways and they do jam pack you into the bus. If this isn’t something you want, you can take a taxi. While waiting for the bus you can scan a QR code and buy tickets for the temple or you can buy them at the temple itself. With the ticket, comes a cute postcard you can stamp along the way through the temple and build a picture. The other downside is if you are staying in central Osaka it is kinda of journey to get to the temple but I think it’s totally worth the trip.

Taking my time to review this place, hopefully this is helpful for you to decide if you should spent your time here. Myself love this place a lot, and would recommend who has no tight schedule to come to chill and explore. I came with my 5 years old with train and then bus. The journey took me 1.5 hrs, and I bought ticket online so no queue to enter the temple. This place is chilling and very relaxing. Kid is having fun looking at the little display and having fun taking photos around. The chops are very fun, like treasure hunt! The bus also more often during weekends, and staffs are very helpful.

Though far, this temple is very easy to reach, with a bus line that picks you up from the station and drops you directly in front of the temple. This place is a must-go if you ever visit Osaka. The structures in the temple area are amazing, the garden is serene, and the scenery is calming

Great Hill Top Temple. The bus up is wheelchair accessible. The venue grounds are also wheelchair accessible. There are power chairs you can swap into to help you reach to upper level. Wheelchair washrooms throughout.

One of my favourite places I visited in Japan, even though it was freezing when we were there. There aren’t a lot of buses that go there, so you just have to be careful with timing. We were there in early February though, so I imagine it might be different during peak times. So beautiful and wonderful place to learn about the Daruma dolls, would definitely recommend!

Katsuo-ji Temple is such a peaceful and refreshing place. The atmosphere is great, and the natural scenery is absolutely beautiful. It’s also considered a power spot, making it a perfect place to visit if you’re looking for some spiritual energy. If you come on the right day, you’ll see tons of visitors, which really adds to the lively vibe. But honestly, the most amazing thing has to be the sheer number of Daruma dolls everywhere—it’s really something you have to see for yourself!

Very nice place—more touristy than I expected, but still worth the visit. The temple itself is unique, something you won’t really find anywhere else. It has a special atmosphere that really stands out, even with the number of visitors. The staff were incredibly kind and welcoming, which made the experience even better. One thing to keep in mind: the bus fare to get there is a bit steep, around ¥800, so it’s something to consider when planning. Also on weekdays the last bus returning to the metro station is leaving at 16.18 pm, so keep that in mind! Overall, it’s just the temple—no shopping streets or anything extra—but if you’re into history, culture, or just peaceful, beautiful places, it’s definitely worth seeing.

A MUST see when visiting Japan, specifically Osaka. An easy train ride from Osaka Namba station - no platform changes - Katsuoji temple is truly a gem. Note : the cheapest way to get to the temple is taking the local bus that goes straight to the temple. The roads from the train station to the temple are long and uphill. You will either want to take a bus or taxi. The bus only has a few trips a day to the temple so you may be waiting a while. We waited about 2 hours for the next bus. It was so worth it. The temple grounds are extremely peaceful and we were lucky that it wasn't crowded at all. The daruma were all over the grounds and it was beautiful. Highly recommend!

Finally arrived here after 6 hours of hiking. It's located in a beautiful place, surrounded by the mountains in Minoo but one of it's highlight is the different sizes of Daruma Dolls scattered everywhere. These Daruma dolls are also being sold in different sizes at the top of the temple, the omiyage shop are not selling it. The shop also had nice view of the temple ground , have a matcha and relax :)

A hidden gem and glad we made the trip. My teenage kids were happy to get some daruma dolls home. The temple is a little out of the way and remember to check the last bus 29 which ends at 4:30 pm each day.