Visitors wait before some steps to enter temple grounds. Trees in brilliant reds and yellows are in the background.
©Wendy Gan 2024

Visiting Ruriko-in

Crucial tips for securing a Ruriko-in reservation for autumn foliage viewings

Ruriko-in is only open to the public for short periods in the spring, summer and fall. Please check here for when the temple will be open to visitors.

In the spring and summer, no reservations are needed. You can simply arrive and purchase your tickets on the spot. At 2000 yen per person, this is probably the most you will have to pay at any Kyoto temple. If you intend to go in the autumn when the fall colours are at its peak, then things get more complicated. You will need to reserve a time slot and competition to get one will be stiff. The reservation system is only in Japanese, so you will need the help of Google Translate to get you through the booking form. In Safari, all you need to do is click the translate icon in the search bar (see the red circle below)and it will translate the site automatically for you. 

If you are serious about going to Ruriko-in for autumn, here are our tips:

·      You’ll need to know the date of your proposed visit. It’s hard to say when the colours will be best and, with climate change, this becomes more and more unpredictable each year. In 2023, December 1 would probably have been the best time to visit Ruriko-in, but you should be safe if you choose a day in the last week of November for your visit.

·      Set a reminder for October 1 and check their website for when reservations will open for the dates you want. When we went in late November 2023, reservations had opened up on the very first day of November and I had unwittingly missed the release of bookings. As a result, there were very few slots left for the days we were in Kyoto and none at a convenient hour. But the thing is that reservations are free, as are cancellations, and as people’s plans inevitably change, there will be cancellations. I spent the next few weeks checking the reservation site regularly and pouncing on any open slot that worked with our schedule. It took a number tries to get the exact date and time we wanted. 

·      You will need to enter your name in Japanese characters. The first step is to get a katakana version of your name. You can use this site to help you with that.

·      The form requires your Japanese katakana name to be entered in full-width. You will need to go here to get this done.

·      Save your full-width first name and last name somewhere safe and where you can easily access them to cut and paste into the form. 

·      Once you make a successful booking, you will be sent a confirmation email. You’ll need this on the day, so make sure you have it with you when you go. 

·      If you decide to change your slot, make sure to make a new reservation first, before releasing your old booking. 

·      Cancellation is straightforward and immediate. Just follow the instructions on the website.

·      Note: It was easy to get a slot for 1. It was a little harder for 2. As your group size goes up, it might get trickier, especially if you are hoping for a cancellation slot. 

Now that you’ve got your reservation, it’s time to re-read our tips for autumn in Kyoto, which you can find here and here

It is also possible to visit Ruriko-in at night during the fall season, but you will need to go here to make a booking. I’ve not done this before, so I’m afraid I cannot offer much advice on how best to do this. 

A final word on Ruriko-in: everyone is there for the view from the study, but the views from the other parts of the house are quite lovely as well and usually far less thronged. 

Yellow, maroon, and green foliage over a deep green moss garden
Ruriko-in's moss garden ©Wendy Gan 2024

You might be wondering where is the Tipsterati advice on food? Well, there isn't much on offer in this area. There is a grilled eel eatery (八瀬平八) by the Yase-Hieizanguchi Station, which is well reviewed on Google, but we did not eat there as our plan involved going back to Kyoto to dine. If you are the type to get hangry, then make sure to bring a snack along.