Himeji, Hyogo / 書寫山圓教寺

Shoshazan Engyoji Temple

An old Tendai temple on the summit of Mt. Shosha, called "the Mt. Hiei of the West", founded by the priest Shoku in 966 and the 27th temple of the Saigoku 33 Kannon pilgrimage. Its highlights are the Maniden hall built on stilts on a cliff and three halls (Daikodo, Jikido and Jogyodo) arranged in a U shape; seeing everything takes about an hour and a half to two hours. It was a filming location for "The Last Samurai".

Last official check

26 Sept 2026

Traveler reports

Reports open in Phase 2

Next scheduled check

25 Dec 2026

Decide before you go

A short summary made from the official facts below. Check the rows for details.

Getting there: Train / Bus
Admission: Paid (see the price below)

Before you go

Only facts we confirmed on official sources are shown. Anything else is marked “Not checked yet”.

Opening hours: 8:30-17:00 (varies by season; note the Shosha Ropeway operating hours).
Checked 26 Sept 2026 on the official site
Closed: Not checked yet — we have not confirmed this on an official source yet. Check with the spot before you go.
Admission: Temple entry: adults (junior high and older) 500 yen, elementary 300 yen. Shosha Ropeway: adults 700 yen one way / 1,200 yen return; children 350 / 600 yen.
Checked 26 Sept 2026 on the official site
Getting there: About 30 minutes by bus from Himeji Station to Shosha Ropeway, about 4 minutes by ropeway to Sanjo Station, then about 25 minutes on foot to the Maniden (or about 5 minutes by paid shuttle bus).
Checked 26 Sept 2026 on the official site
Parking: Shosha Ropeway base car park: about 270 cars and 7 buses (free); cars cannot drive to the summit.
Checked 26 Sept 2026 on the official site
Payment: Not checked yet — we have not confirmed this on an official source yet. Check with the spot before you go.
Accessibility: Not checked yet — we have not confirmed this on an official source yet. Check with the spot before you go.

Found wrong or outdated information? Let us know

Address: Himeji, Hyogo (Japanese address: 兵庫県姫路市書写2968)

Official site: https://www.hyogo-tourism.jp/spot/detail_1050.html

Location

Smaller pins are other spots nearby.

Open in Google Maps Get directions

Nearby spots

Distances are straight-line distances, not travel distances.

Crowds

Crowd level: Not checked yet — no official source yet, and not enough traveler reports.
Best time to visit: Not checked yet — no official source yet, and not enough traveler reports.
Peak time: Not checked yet — no official source yet, and not enough traveler reports.
Busiest days: Not checked yet — no official source yet, and not enough traveler reports.
Busiest season: Not checked yet — no official source yet, and not enough traveler reports.
Latest traveler report: None yet

Traveler crowd data by time of day appears after 5 traveler reports (0 so far).

You can check typical busy hours in Google Maps ("Popular times" on the place's page). Open this spot in Google Maps

Verification log

26 Sept 2026First check · Tourism board · https://www.hyogo-tourism.jp/spot/detail_1050.htmlHours, fees, access, parking, description and coordinates read from a tourism organization's site.