Muro-ji Temple
A remote Shingon temple deep in the Muro mountains of eastern Nara, famous for its five-story pagoda — Japan's smallest, yet perhaps its most perfectly proportioned, standing amid ancient cryptomeria trees. The temple welcomed female worshippers when all other Koya-san affiliated temples were closed to women.
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Muro-ji is nicknamed 'the women's Koya-san' because it accepted female pilgrims when Mt Koya refused them. The five-story pagoda in the cedar forest is one of Japan's smallest and most beautiful. The mountain path continues to the inner sanctuary above — a 20-minute climb worth doing. The hydrangea season (June) makes the approach path spectacular.
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