What other travelers are saying about Katsuo-ji Temple
We pulled up to Katsuoji Temple kinda late in the day and low key thought we’d already missed peak autumn season.but NOPE. This place came through with the brightest, most gorgeous fall colors we saw our whole trip. Absolute slay 🍁🔥
From the station you’ll need to hop on a bus to reach the temple. We went on a weekday and it was still crowded everyone was taking pictures. But we still managed to get our shots, so don’t stress. Worth it.
The entrance ticket includes a postcard you stamp along the way, and once you’re done you end up with a super cute completed one. Loved that little experience. There are also souvenirs (the daruma dolls are a whole vibe), and the day we went there was even a stall selling castella cake. Say less.
Overall? Peaceful, stunning, and totally unforgettable. If you’re chasing autumn leaves in Japan this is THE spot. Highly recommended 🙌✨
Katsuo-ji Temple is renowned for its 'winning daruma' dolls and is a popular destination for those seeking good luck and success in endeavors.
Katsuo-ji Temple is situated in the mountains of Minoh, Osaka Prefecture, Japan, providing a serene environment surrounded by natural beauty.
Founded in the early Heian period, Katsuo-ji Temple has a long history connected to Japanese Buddhism and has been associated with the ruling elite seeking victory and success.
The temple features countless daruma dolls scattered throughout its grounds, representing people's prayers and aspirations. It also offers beautiful gardens and scenic views.
The best time to visit Katsuo-ji Temple is during autumn when the surrounding maple trees are ablaze with vibrant colors, making it a picturesque setting.
One of the best temple in Japan, for me. If you go to Osaka, you really must visit Katsuoji Temple, no excuse 😄
This was my first time visiting Japan, and honestly this temple left a very deep impression. The scenery is so beautiful and calming, the temple area is very clean, well maintained, and you can really feel the long history when you walk around. Not crowded like some other famous spots, so you can enjoy it slowly.
When I entered the temple area, I felt very peaceful, like my mind suddenly quiet. Hard to explain but the atmosphere is special. I think autumn is the best season to visit Katsuoji — the colors, the air, everything feels just right.
There are also many cute and unique souvenirs, especially the daruma. Good place to buy souvenir that actually has meaning, not just random stuff.
Small tip for first timer: wear comfortable shoes because you will walk quite a bit, and come earlier if possible so you can enjoy without rush.
Even though this was my first Japan trip, I feel like I will come back to this temple every time I visit Japan again. Definitely will return to this place 🙏
This was a very beautiful temple especially in autumn. The stamp rally was really fun and a good addition to my scrap book. The stamps also had good ink in them so they weren’t weak like the eki ones..
It’s easy to get a bus to the station (the bus is a bit pricey tho prewarning, 800 yen one way and 1600 return). It’s easy to get a taxi from outside to other places also - we went to the minoh falls afterwards which was really beautiful. It is hard to walk anywhere from the temple though, expect to walk around one hour or more.
The price for entry was good and comes with the stamp rally card. I think charging for an extra adult entry ticket to get another stamp card is a bit cheeky.
If you want to go to a cafe afterwards there isn’t one inside the temple visitor centre but I saw signs outside pointing to one. I really wanted a coffee and got one from the vending machine, it was too late by the time I saw the signs so putting it here as a good to know! :)
One thing I didn’t like was how busy it was, it was hard to slow down and enjoy the peace of the temple with so many tourists, then again we did arrive for 12pmish which, judging from google, seems to be the peak visiting time- i would recommend going earlier or later to get a better experience. The dark a castella cakes also only come in a portion of 33, smaller portion options would be much better.
From the train station, it is clear that every effort is being made to make access to the temple easier during this peak season (end of November 2025). Buses were lined up to accommodate throngs of tourists and locals alike. And when we arrived at the temple entrance, the line moved efficiently. There is an option to purchase web tickets but it really did not take us long to purchase them from the staff because of their efficient service.
The stamp rally is an unexpectedly genius move! It got tourists moving along instead of simply stopping randomly to take photos (which everyone did understandably). You collect a total of six stamps on a postcard given to you along with your ticket at the entrance and form a nice image towards the end. I would take a photo of the postcard, but you should just experience it for yourself. The darumas are everywhere and I had a lot of fun spotting them in the unlikeliest of places and in the funniest positions! For 500 yen, you get to pick your own daruma “prediction” or “horoscope” and mine was chillingly accurate (with the daruma figurine itself). It is not a typical temple fortune which says “daikichi” or “big luck.” The paper is a collection of sensible advice which you can keep for a long time.
It is crowded but not as jampacked as Kyoto…YET!
I thought getting here would be difficult, but it’s actually very easy. The bus stop is right near the train station, and buses run often.
Tip: Make sure your IC card has enough balance for a round trip (about 1,600 yen). There is no place to top up at the temple.
Inside the temple, there’s a lot of walking, but every corner is beautiful. You can easily take over 300 photos. Besides the fun of collecting stamps (you have to walk around the temple to complete them), it’s also entertaining to observe how people place Daruma dolls everywhere—some spots are honestly quite funny.
I recommend spending 2–3 hours here. I liked this temple more than Kiyomizu-dera because it’s less crowded and more peaceful.
