Engyo-ji on Mount ShoshaPhoto: 663highland / CC BY 2.5
Checked · Researched, not yet visited · times from official timetables and our estimates · Takumi Yamada
A mountain temple founded in the Heian period, the 27th temple of the Saigoku pilgrimage, whose Maniden hall stands on tall pillars against the slope. Entry ¥800. The ropeway and the temple minibus are closed from 5 February to 28 October 2027; the temple stays open and gives 30 minutes to an hour on foot up the paths. When the ropeway runs, the Maniden is 15–20 minutes’ walk from the top station, and five or six minutes beyond it the Daikodo, Jikido and Jogyodo, three large wooden halls, stand round a gravel court in the woods. The temple puts the course to the main halls at about two hours on the mountain.
- On a 4–6h ashore call our verdict is "No" — in 2027 the climb adds one to two hours to the taxis.
- Closed from 5 February to 28 October 2027; the temple stays open and gives 30 minutes to an hour on foot up the paths. Check the day before you plan around it.
- 5 hr 30 min door to door needs a 7.5-hour call: a 2–3 hour stop cannot hold it. Pick something closer instead.
- It is a view, so it is weather. Check the morning sky before you commit the hours.
Things worth knowing
- The ropeway is closed from 5 February to 28 October 2027: every 2027 cruise call falls in that window.
- The temple’s office for stamps is open 09:00–16:30 during the closure.
Engyo-ji on Mount Shosha and your ship
Both pins on one map, so the distance is a fact rather than a feeling.
Where the 5 hr 30 min goes
The hour before all-aboard is not in this bar; it is already set aside. The minutes are our estimates from timetables and maps, not timed on the ground.
If your ship is late, cut the 2 hr 30 min in the middle. Never cut the hour at the end.
Questions
Is the Mount Shosha Ropeway running?
Not from 5 February to 28 October 2027, for rebuilding. The temple stays open and gives 30 minutes to an hour on foot up its paths.
What to put beside it
Each of these still lands you back aboard with the hour to spare.
See · ~3.5hHimeji Castle
The largest original castle in Japan: a white keep and its towers on a 46 m hill, a National Treasure and, since 1993, a World Heritage Site.
See the detail
See · ~2.5hKoko-en
Nine walled gardens built on the site of the samurai houses west of the castle, with ponds and a tea house.
See the detail
See · ~1.5hSannomaru Square
The free lawn in front of the castle, outside the paid area: the view of the keep without a ticket.
See the detail