This eighth-century Buddhist temple on a hill in rural Sennan, far south of the city of Osaka, is perhaps most noteworthy for its eye-catching rock garden, created by the renowned landscape architect Mirei Shigemori (1896–1975). Its narrow paths are splashed with the bright colours of azaleas and rhododendrons in spring, while summer sees the landscape assume a vivid green appearance.
In January, the temple hosts a goma fire ceremony in which a bonfire is lit to pray for good harvests and the safety of the community. Once the fire has burned out, the temple’s priests walk across the still smouldering coals in a ritual meant to scare away evil spirits. Anyone can try following in their footsteps, but remember that this is a religious rite and participants are expected to behave respectfully.
Note that Rinshoji is located some distance from the nearest train station, which is Izumi-Sunagawa on the Hanwa line, so it’s best to take a taxi to the temple from there.