Murō-ji Temple: Stone Staircase and Buddhist Statues of Women's Koyasan

Murō-ji is a mountain temple with the alternate name 'Women's Koyasan,' where women have been permitted to make pilgrimages since ancient times, in contrast to Mount Koyasan which prohibited women. As you ascend the stone staircase, national treasure-class structures appear one after another—the Maitreya Hall, Golden Hall, and five-story pagoda—with Heian Period Buddhist statues including a standing statue of Shakyamuni Buddha enshrined in the Golden Hall. Japan's smallest five-story pagoda stands outdoors and is particularly picturesque during rhododendron season.