Most travelers to Japan make a pilgrimage to Kyoto. The truly curious ones eventually find their way to Katsuoji.
Nestled in the forested hills of Minoh City on the northern outskirts of Osaka, the Katsuoji Temple - colloquially known as the "Temple of Winners" - has been accumulating visitors' prayers and Daruma dolls for over a millennium. A recent post on r/travel made the case that this temple is best visited in conditions most travelers actively try to avoid: heavy rain.
"While I was worried the weather might ruin the views, the rain actually made the forest feel magical," wrote the traveler, who visited during autumn. "The mist clinging to the autumn leaves and the sound of the downpour against the temple stones created such a peaceful, moody atmosphere."
The star of any Katsuoji visit is the Daruma doll collection - thousands of the round, red-painted papier-mache figures tucked into stone walls, arranged on mossy staircases, perched on wooden benches, and clustered under temple eaves. Each doll represents a goal set and achieved: the tradition involves painting one eye when you make a wish and the second when it comes true. The accumulated effect of thousands of dolls peering out through autumn mist and forest shadow is, according to the traveler, "a sight I will never forget."
The practical case for rain is sound. Japan's most popular temple circuits in Kyoto - Fushimi Inari, Arashiyama's bamboo grove, Kinkaku-ji - become oppressively crowded even on clear days, reaching conditions where photography is nearly impossible and the spiritual atmosphere has been completely replaced by traffic management. Katsuoji, because it requires a genuine journey to reach, naturally filters for motivated visitors.
Getting there from central Osaka takes 1 to 1.5 hours from hubs like Umeda or Namba, via a combination of train and bus. The route itself is part of the experience - the bus climbs into increasingly forested terrain as the city falls away.
Autumn is the optimal season - the temple's maple trees turn the hillside into a spectacle of orange and crimson that frames the Daruma dolls dramatically. But the combination of mist, forest, and the sheer density of the doll collection creates a compelling atmosphere across most seasons.
For anyone planning a Japan trip frustrated by the logistical challenges of the overcrowded Kyoto circuit, Katsuoji offers a genuine alternative: fewer crowds, equivalent visual drama, rich cultural depth, and the specific pleasure of a destination that rewards effort with an experience that feels earned rather than packaged.
