Ishite-ji is the 51st temple of the Shikoku 88-Temple Pilgrimage and one of the most architecturally impressive, featuring a Kamakura-era sanmon gate designated as a National Treasure. In autumn, the forested approach and inner precinct fill with red and orange maples, their reflections pooling in the stone-paved courtyards. Pilgrims in white robes walking the moss-draped stone path among autumn leaves create an iconic visual unique to Shikoku. The surrounding Ishite valley also offers short forest walks at peak colour.
- Type
- Venue
- Category
- Autumn Leaves
- Season
- Autumn
- Month
- Mid to Late November
- Region
- Shikoku
- Prefecture
- Ehime
- City
- Matsuyama
Highlights
- ◆Kamakura-era National Treasure sanmon gate amid autumn foliage
- ◆Atmospheric stone-paved pilgrims' approach lined with maples
- ◆White-robed henro pilgrims in the coloured precinct
- ◆Short forest valley walks at peak colour
- ◆Easy access from central Matsuyama by tram