[2025 Otsu Attraction] Travel Guide for Onjo-ji Temple (Mii-dera) (Updated May)

There is a Mitsui Temple near Otsu (now officially known as "Chang et al.") is one of the four major Buddhist temples in Japan. Built in the 7th century, after several years of battle, it has also suffered many wars but has been revived, so there is also the name of the Temple of the Dead Bird! In the temple, there is the "Mitsui Night Clock" of the Eight Rivers in the vicinity of the river. It is the bell of the Nara era. The scars and cracks on the Vatican clock are traces of history. There are 1,300 cherry blossoms in the temple. Every April, the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. Like a fairyland. The highest point of the Mitsui-ji Temple, Kannon-ji Temple, is located at the Observatory. It can see the streetscape of Otsu City, and the distance is Lake Biwa.

#cherryblossom25 I didn’t do much research before chasing the cherry blossoms this time, but somehow ended up with the luckiest day ever! I originally thought Miidera was just an ordinary "cherry blossom version of Rurikoin," but — full-bloom cherry blossoms 🌸 + a vast, grand temple + perfect weather ☀️ literally moved me to tears! Seriously, how many hidden gems are there in Shiga Prefecture?! 🤍 🏯 Miidera Temple (official name: Onjo-ji Temple) Located in Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture, just two JR stations away from Kyoto Station — super easy to get to! Right by Lake Biwa, the largest freshwater lake in Japan Head temple of the Tendai Jimon sect, founded in the 7th century to pray for Emperor Tenji Recognized as one of Japan’s "Four Great Temples" — it’s way more impressive than I imagined! 🛖 Inside the temple grounds, there are 19 cultural heritage buildings (like the Bell Tower, Three-storied Pagoda, and Kannon Hall), making it feel like an open-air museum. 🚶♀️ Walking slowly along the winding paths uphill, you’re accompanied by breathtaking cherry blossoms at every turn — the scenery changes with each step, and it’s just mesmerizing. 🏔️ Once you reach the top — ✨ You’re greeted with the sparkling blue waters of Lake Biwa ✨ Rolling mountains stretching into the horizon ✨ The combo of lake + cherry blossoms is just soul-stirring. 💬 And the BEST part — There were almost no Chinese tourists that day!! No crowds at all — it was peaceful and quiet, making it feel like I had the entire place to myself. Every photo looked straight out of a Japanese drama! #travel

We decided on a cherry blossom-chasing trip at the last minute, and originally expected to miss the cherry blossoms in Kyoto, so we decided to go to Shiga Prefecture, north of Kyoto. Just in time for the cherry blossoms to be in full bloom and a sunny day! If you have friends coming to Kansai these days, you can consider coming and have a look. It only takes two stops from Kyoto! After getting off at Otsu Station, walk towards Miidera. 📸Photo taking spots (taken on 2025.4.12): 1️⃣ Kawaguchi Park: Swing under the cherry trees and see a beautiful clock. 2️⃣ Lake Biwa Canal: Layer upon layer of cherry blossoms! 3️⃣ Mii Temple: 🎫600 yen The famous moon-viewing stage requires advance reservations, 3,000 yen for 5 minutes, and a group is limited to 6 people. Because the appointment was fully booked very early, I could only shoot from the side. Go up one more platform and you can overlook the cherry blossom sea view! On the way back, I was able to take pictures of the train passing by near Miidera Station, as well as the slide and picnic scene under the cherry trees. It was really beautiful! In addition, Shiga's Kaizu Osaki is fully bloomed on the weekend, it's worth a try!

Recommended in the suburbs of Kyoto, a small cherry blossom resort: Mitsui-ji Temple Mitsui Temple, known as "Mitsui Night Clock", one of the eight scenic spots in Omi, is also known as the Park City Temple. It was originally built on the center of Mount Hiei. The temple of the "Tiantai Zong" school in the strip eventually became a new independent sect because of the separation of factions. The temples such as Jintang, Renwangmen and the Triple Tower were also designated by Japan as national key cultural heritage. But the past and present life of these monasteries is not the focus of my engineering students. Only the nearly 1,500 cherry trees planted in the temple are the main purpose of this trip. The distribution of cherry blossoms The distribution of cherry blossoms at Mitsui-ji Temple is mainly concentrated on the main road between Jintang and the three-storied pagoda, and the half-mountain near the Guanyintang, which is the only way to visit the temple. So you don't need to go there specifically. Just stroll along the main road and you will always see it. National Treasure in the National Treasure is the first to come to Jintang, and the Mai Lai Bodhisattva Statue here is the most essential part of the temple. But for me, it is still more attractive to me to bloom in the cherry blossoms on both sides of the trail. At the beginning of April, "Yoshino Yoshino" and "Sakura" will be dyed in pale pink. Find a stone bench under the cherry tree and sit quietly, enjoying the sunshine and the hustle and bustle, and the cherry blossoms are beautiful. Walk in this quaint temple, walk on a small road covered with pink cherry blossom petals, and sometimes sit on the steps and feel the original quietness and coziness of the ancient Japanese temple, and sometimes run in the cherry blossoms. Turn the circle.

The Mitsui-ji Temple is located in the Otsu City, Japan. It is the total mountain of the Japanese Tiantai Zongsi School. It is called the temple gate opposite the Yanli Temple, which is called the Mountain Gate. was originally built in the temple of the "Tiantai Zong" school centered on Mount Biru. In the 13th century, the "Tiantai Temple" was separated from the "Tiantai Zong" faction of Bi Ruishan and became a new independent. Sect. The sturdy stone walls and temple gates are like a story about the history of its struggle against the Yanli Temple (the temple that governs the Tiantai Zong). The "Golden Hall" designated as a national treasure-level cultural relic, enshrining the "Mai Lai Bodhisattva" - is said to be the successor of "Zhu Lai Bodhisattva", the "respective devotion" (the name of Sakyamuni), and will be reincarnate in the future. Transportation: Take JR from JR to Otsu City, about 10 minutes by car, and then take a taxi for a few minutes. Tickets: 600JPY