What other travelers are saying about Katsuo-ji Temple
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.
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!
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.
