Tokushima 🛕 Temple 📷 9

Shōsan-ji (Kamiyama)

焼山寺

A Buddhist temple built for quiet — halls, gardens and incense smoke.

See the photos How to get there Open in Maps

Best season April (blossom) and mid-November–early December (foliage)

Time needed 45–90 minutes

Admission Roughly ¥300–800 for halls and gardens (≈ $2–5)

Opening hours Typically 8:30–17:00 (shorter in winter)

Photos

Photos from Wikimedia Commons — click any image for the photographer and licence.

What this place is

Shōsan-ji (焼山寺) or Shozan-ji is a Shingon Buddhist temple in Kamiyama, Tokushima. It is the 12th temple in the 88 temple Shikoku Pilgrimage. At at elevation of 706 metres, it is the second highest temple of the pilgrimage.

Background text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)

Why it is worth the trip

Main halls housing Buddhist statuary, some of it designated National Treasure or Important Cultural Property.
Gardens designed to be looked at rather than walked through — raked gravel, moss, borrowed mountain scenery.
Wooden architecture with deep eaves and joinery assembled without nails, often rebuilt over many centuries.

What you can do here

Light incense at the burner and waft the smoke over yourself before entering the main hall.
Sit on the veranda facing the garden — that is the intended way to see it, and it costs nothing extra.
Receive a goshuin seal, or try a short zazen / sutra-copying session where offered.
Walk the temple's pagoda, bell tower and sub-temples; many stay open later than the main hall.

Getting there

We do not have step-by-step transit directions for this spot yet. Open the location on Google Maps for routes from where you are staying.

Area: Tokushima

Route on Google Maps

Good to know before you go

Remove your shoes where indicated and carry them in the plastic bag provided.
Keep voices low inside halls; photography of the principal image is often prohibited.
Autumn foliage and spring blossom seasons bring long queues — go right at opening.