Explore sacred Mt. Hiei. Discover yourself.
Connect with the local culture, and put into yourown words the sights and insights that stay with you.What drew you in? Why did it move you?
INTRODUCTION
GUIDEBOOK
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JOURNALING
As this guidebook leads you through Mt. Hiei and Sakamoto, it also helps you discover more about yourself.
Founded by Saicho, Enryakuji Temple on Mt. Hiei has been a place of learning and Buddhist practice for over 1,200 years. At the foot of the mountain lies Sakamoto, dotted with satobo—retreats for retired monks. Here, wisdom for everyday life, nurtured through gardens and spiritual practice, lives on.
With your guidebook in hand, explore temples, shrines, and gardens, connecting with the history and spiritual traditions rooted in this land. Write down, in your own words, the sights that stay with you and the small discoveries you make along the way.
What drew you in? Why did it move you? As you revisit these reflections, discover feelings and perceptions within yourself that often go unnoticed in everyday life.
THE JOURNEY
What awaits you on this journey
A culture shaped over 1,200 years, and a side of yourself you have yet to discover. As you explore temples, shrines, gardens, and townscapes, record the sights and words that stay with you, in your own words. What drew you in? Why did it move you? Reflecting on the discoveries you make along the way, you will gradually become more aware of feelings and perceptions that often go unnoticed in everyday life.
01 / WALK & LISTEN
Walk the paths of prayer, and listen closely
From Enryakuji Temple on Mt. Hiei to Sakamoto, the temple town at its foot. With your guidebook and audio guide, follow the stories that live on in the temples, shrines, and streets. Pause, take in the scenery, and listen to the words being shared. At a walking pace, discover the layers of time that have shaped this place.
02 / PAUSE
Pause before a garden
Quietly reflect on what drew you to a particular view and what stayed with you. Time spent taking in the scenery becomes a chance to notice your own feelings and perceptions.
03 / REFLECT
Put your feelings into words
With your guidebook as a companion, write down, in your own words, the sights and insights that stay with you. Reflect on what you have written, and create a sentence of your own to carry with you into everyday life.
FLOW OF JOURNEY
Four Steps to Your Journey,
Starting with a Guidebook
01
Envision your journey
Plan a journey of your own, imagining the places you would like to visit and how you would like to spend your time there.
02
Pick up your guidebook
Pick up your guidebook at the Sakamoto Tourism Information Office, the Okuhiei Driveway Office (inside Eizantei at the Enryakuji Temple Bus Center), or NIWA at Kyoto Station. Open its pages, and let your journey begin. Where will you go, and what will you discover? Let your guidebook lead the way as you set out at your own pace.
03
Explore and record
Explore Mt. Hiei and Sakamoto, reading about each place and listening to the audio guide along the way. In your own words, jot down the sights and words that stay with you, and how you felt in those moments.
04
Receive a keepsake of your journey
Receive a personalized keepsake card based on the reflections you recorded along the way. The places you explored and the moments that moved you come together in a single card—a reminder of your journey to take home.
SELECT YOUR PLAN
Two plans to suit your
travel style.
Both plans include a printed guidebook, access to the experiences, an audio guide, admission to participating temples and facilities, and a personalized keepsake card.
Enryakuji Temple & Sakamoto Self-Guided Plan with Cable Car
For those who want to explore from mountaintop to town, with travel included.
¥7,500(Tax included)
Round-trip cable car fare- Printed guidebook
- Access to the experiences
- Audio guide access
- Personalized keepsake card
- Admission to the following sites
Enryakuji Temple & Sakamoto Self-Guided Plan without Transport
For those who prefer to arrange their own transport and explore at their own pace
¥5,900(Tax included)
- Printed guidebook
- Access to the experiences
- Audio guide access
- Personalized keepsake card
- Admission to the following sites
Ticket sales pages are being published gradually. If you are unable to access a page, please try again later.
【Admission Included at the Following Sites】
Enryakuji Temple on Mt. Hiei (To-do, Sai-to, and Yokawa), Hiyoshi Taisha Shrine, Saikyo-ji Temple, Shiga-in Monzeki Temple, Shogen-ji Temple, Ritsu-in Temple, Former Chikurin-in, Kunin Residence (Old Okamoto Residence), and Eizantei at the Enryakuji Temple Bus Center
BEFORE YOUR TRIP
Before you go
- Name
- NAKED's JOURNALING TOUR
- Dates
- November 9 (Mon), 2026 – January 31 (Sun), 2027
- Pickup
- Sakamoto Tourist Information Center, Okuhiei Driveway office (inside the Enryaku-ji Bus Center, Eizantei), NIWA (Kyoto Station)
- Area
- Enryaku-ji on Mount Hiei (Todo, Saito, and Yokawa), Hiyoshi Taisha, Saikyoji, Shigain Monzeki, Shogenji, Ritsuin, Former Chikurin-in, Kojin Yashiki, Enryaku-ji Bus Center (Eizantei)
- Contact Us
- General Inquiries ： naked_journaling_tour@naked.worksMedia & Corporate Inquiries ： hieizan_biwako@ml.keihan.co.jp
FAQ
Questions
Q. Do I need a device to listen to the audio guide?
A. Yes. The audio guide works with your own smartphone and earphones. We do not lend a dedicated device, so please bring your own. Some areas have a weak signal. An internet connection is needed only for the first pairing. Once connected, you can enjoy the audio guide offline through to the end.
Q. About how long does it take to visit every spot?
A. If you walk slowly and write as you go, please allow about five to six hours, including Enryaku-ji on Mount Hiei. The time varies with the spots you visit and how long you stay at each place.
Q. Does it take place in the rain?
A. In principle, you can take part in the rain. The weather on Mount Hiei changes quickly, so please bring rain gear and warm clothing, and wear something easy to walk in for the conditions.
Q. How is this guidebook different from an ordinary sightseeing guide?
A. It is more than a place to look up general tourist information. It is a guidebook for experiencing Hieizan Sakamoto by walking it yourself. Beyond learning the history and culture of each spot, you continue the journey while leaving what you felt there on your smartphone. It includes an experience in which you record the journey itself and turn toward yourself.
Q. What is journaling?
A. It is writing down what you felt, what you thought, and what stayed with you, without looking for a grade or a right answer. On this journey you record what you feel when you meet the nature, temples and shrines, and spiritual culture of Hieizan Sakamoto. You do not need to write anything difficult. A short phrase is enough, such as 'calm,' 'a little frightening,' or 'somehow nostalgic.'
Q. Can I take part if I have never journaled?
A. Yes. No prior knowledge or experience is required. Follow the guidebook and the guidance on your smartphone, and freely record what you felt.
Q. What if I do not know what to write?
A. We prepare questions that draw out what you felt in that place. We are also considering questions that appear from what you entered, so you can think a little more deeply. Writing a great deal is not the goal.
Q. Do I need a smartphone?
A. Yes. A smartphone is used for recording the experience, the audio guide, and more. Please join with it fully charged.
Q. Do I need to download a dedicated app?
A. No dedicated app is required. You open the website from the guidebook and take part from there.
Q. What is the commemorative pass?
A. It is an original keepsake of this journey, made in a different form for each person from the experiences and sensations left along the way. It gives shape to the unseen memory of where you went that day and what you felt, so you can take it home.
Q. Where can I receive the commemorative pass?
A. You can print it at the Sakamoto Tourist Information Center. We also provide it as digital data.
Q. Is it available in more than one language?
A. There are Japanese and English editions of the guidebook.
Q. Can I join partway through, or visit only some of the places?
A. Yes. You can walk at your own pace. You may also spread the visit over more than one day, but you cannot enter the same facility twice.
Q. Do I have to see everything in one day?
A. During the event period, you can split the experience over several days. You cannot enter the same facility twice.
Q. Can children take part?
A. There is no age limit, but a parent or guardian must accompany them.
Q. Does each person need their own guidebook?
A. In principle, one guidebook is tied to one person's experience, so we recommend one copy per person. Admission for one person is included. If someone with you does not have a guidebook, please pay admission separately at each facility.
