THIS TEMPLE IS CLOSED IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY

Personally, this temple is one of the most memorable for me. It's incredibly peaceful and serene, surrounded by hundreds of maple trees (one of which is over 800 years old), and it's probably one of the least touristy temples I've ever visited.

Amida-ji Temple is over 450 years old and was founded by a Buddhist priest named Tanzei Shonin. Here comes the eerie part of this place (at least for me): there's a cave inside this temple. In 1613, he entered the cave and asked his disciples to seal it permanently. That's how he began his meditation, and one could say it never ended. His mummified remains still rest in this cave, within a mausoleum.

I was completely alone in the entire temple, and to enter the cave, you need a flashlight (because it's completely dark inside). It was both eerie and amazing at the same time 😅. At the temple's entrance, I asked the priest if I could take pictures of the cave since I couldn't find any "no photography" signs (another reason it's so non-touristy). He kindly explained that it's a very sacred place and said it's fine to take photos anywhere inside the temple except in the cave. This temple holds such importance that even members of the Imperial family have undergone Buddhist training here.

To reach the temple's entrance, you'll need to walk uphill for about 15 minutes from the temple's gate near the road (the path is mainly concrete and asphalt).