Aramiyama Temple with a spectacular view over the ancient city

This temple stands on a hillside about 1 km upstream from the Togetsu Bridge on Arashiyama and was built in 1614 by Suminokura Ryoi, a wealthy merchant of the Edo period and the father of water transportation in Japan, to honor the memory of those who died in the construction of the Oigawa River.
The main hall enshrines the principal image of the Thousand-Armed Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, which was Ryoi’s Buddhist prayer offering, as well as a wooden Ryoi statue wearing a priest’s robe.
The guest house “Daihikaku” in the precincts of the temple is a Kannon-do built on the rock face of the Oigawa River, and is famous as a viewpoint from which one can enjoy a magnificent seasonal view of Arashikyo.