We’d previously been to Minoh Falls in the Osaka hills during the fall colours season in 2019. It was stunning scenery, a lovely walking path, lots to see and the place I discovered my love for freshly roasted chestnuts. Unfortunately, what we didn’t realise when we went was that we would hear the waterfall but not actually see it. Damage from a typhoon the previous summer had left the path in disrepair, and it was fenced off, preventing access to the falls.
It’s one of those travel moments that has niggled at me to revisit the area ever since, especially after being so impressed by Kegon Falls in Nikko, another famous Japanese waterfall, and wondering how the two would compare.
This year, we decided to combine a return to Minoo Falls with a visit to Katsuoji, the famous Daruma temple in Minoo. Last time we took a train out there and walked the return route from Minoo Station, this year we joined the early-bird Minoh Falls trail tour with Magical Trip.
We’ve done a number of Magical Trip food tours over the years and have enjoyed them all. They have recently expanded the types of trips they run, and this one really appealed to us.
Getting to the tour starting point
They call this tour the ‘early bird trail’; the 7:50 am meetup time didn’t seem particularly early to us. We are normally up as soon as it is light and don’t find hotel rooms particularly conducive to lazy starts, but you will want to plan ahead and do the math on this one.
We were staying in Kyoto, so the quickest way to the Minoh-Kayano station was a special rapid on the JR Tokaido-Sanyo line to Shin-Osaka, then changing to the Midosuji subway line. On a straight run, if you know exactly where you are going at the transfer, you could technically do this in 50 minutes; in reality, you should allow closer to 90 minutes.
The change from JR to the subway involves changing floors without ending up on another train’s platform, then making your way to the other end of a very large station. Working in your favour is that most shops and restaurants won’t be open when you are passing through, but it is the time when many Osaka locals are making a start on their work commute.
If you are coming from somewhere in Osaka (we’d normally stay either in Namba or Umeda), it would make things simpler and quicker. Both areas have direct access to the Midosuji line.
We arrived with time to spare, and the exact meeting spot is very easy to find right outside the station. We meet our guide, Niko, and, as we are the only ones booked on the tour for the day, we head off after introducing ourselves.
Niko takes us directly over to the taxi rank for the 20-minute trip up to Katsuoji Temple. This is a Zen temple known for its many Daruma, and for good luck. The temple is 1200 years old, an important Buddhist temple, and is known for its stunning views in all seasons, particularly the autumn leaves, cherry blossoms, and hydrangea seasons.
The entry fee is included in the tour, and you’ll receive a card for the layered seasonal Daruma stamp. Collecting station and attraction stamps has become really popular with tourists in Japan, and after you stamp your card with a different coloured ink at each of the 6 stamp installations, you have a pretty souvenir to take home.
My first impression after arriving at Katsuoji is the bridge over the tranquil lake and the colourful main hall and pagoda of the temple, which stand out against the hillside behind; it is very beautiful.
Visiting somewhere on a tour, rather than our usual independent travel style, is a bit different, as you don’t control the day’s timeline and priorities. It was great to have Nikos’ explanation of the origins of the Daruma, our fortunes, and so many other things throughout the day, but I had a twinge of disappointment at not having time to continue up the path to the pagoda or to receive a Goshoin.
From here, we hopped in a taxi; there is a rank just beyond the bus stop, and that took us down the hill to an entry point near the Minoh Waterfall. We walked a short way down through the bush, watching for birds and wildlife, always hoping for the monkeys that are sometimes seen here. The waterfall is very impressive, and we were both really pleased to finally see it. Although it hadn’t rained much during the past week we’d been in Kansai, there was still a decent amount of water flowing; it must be very impressive after the summer rains.
From the falls, we continue down the hill toward Minoh Station along the path we’d followed on our previous visit. We stop at the Benzaiten Shrine and Minoosan Ryuanji Temple, the head temple of the Shugendo mountain-worship sect. Niko gives us some great background that you wouldn’t have walking through here on your own. She explains the cleansing routine, Bensaiten, and the Hōju (called cintamani in Sanskrit). It is these snippets of information that I enjoy when exploring with a local guide. She’d also been to a recent ceremony at this temple, and those details add colour to the experience.
The morning is disappearing quickly, and we are late for lunch, so we speed up a bit through the next section of the walk. As usual, Magical Trip overachieved in the choice of restaurant and food, this one with a fabulous view of Minoh Park and the river below our window. We both ended up ordering the duck, although it was a tight call between that and the fish. Beautifully cooked and presented, lots of little dishes packed with flavour, and when I knew I couldn’t possibly fit another thing, they brought out Japanese pudding, but this one with a tea syrup. Of course, I ate it; Japanese pudding is next level.
Niko managed to fit in a couple of extra treats for us as we made our way down to the station, including some early hydrangea in bloom (I love these but can’t handle full summer in Japan when they are fully in bloom) and this path of colourful windmills as we leave Shotengu Saikoji temple.
We say goodbye to Niko, our guide and new friend at Minoo Hankyu station and make our way back to Kyoto. A fabulous day thanks to Nikos’ energy, sense of fun and knowledge of this beautiful part of Osaka.
You’ll find more details on the Magical Trip Minoh tour and the dates in runs on their website, and more information and photos of the area in autumn colours in our previous Minoo article.
