Jingo-ji Temple Live Camera

A Mountain Sanctuary Above the Kiyotaki Gorge

Jingo-ji Temple rises on a steep, forested hillside in the Takao district of Kyoto's Ukyo Ward, reached by a long stone stairway climbing from the Kiyotaki River below. First established in the late 8th century, the temple occupies one of the most secluded and dramatic settings among Kyoto's historic Buddhist sites.

Revived by Kūkai

The temple's fortunes are closely tied to Kūkai (Kōbō Daishi), the founder of Japan's Shingon Buddhist school, who resided and taught at Jingo-ji in the early 9th century before establishing his mountain monastery at Mount Kōya. His legacy endures in the temple's Shingon teachings and its collection of Heian-era treasures.

National Treasures and the Kawarake-nage Ritual

Among Jingo-ji's holdings is a bronze temple bell designated a National Treasure, alongside a seated Yakushi Nyorai statue of similar rank. Visitors also come to practice kawarake-nage, the age-old custom of throwing small unglazed clay discs from the temple's cliffside terrace for good fortune.

Watching Live from Takao

This live camera keeps watch over Jingo-ji's wooded courtyard, part of a citywide network of cameras that helps visitors plan uncrowded, respectful visits to Kyoto's most treasured temples throughout the year.