A Zen temple nestled at the foot of Takagamine, its precincts surrounded by deep woodland retain the atmosphere of a mountain hamlet in northern Kyoto. Takagamine has long been known as a sacred mountain with Shugendo training halls, and Jokoiji was built on that same spiritual foundation. Shakyamuni Buddha is enshrined in the main hall, which is open year-round for zazen meditation and sutra-copy…

Takagamine has long been regarded as a sacred mountain since the Heian period, and ascetic practitioners of Shugendo are said to have traversed its peaks. During the medieval era, various halls and places of worship are believed to have been scattered throughout the area. In the early Edo period, ar…