This is a plan for a day at Kuon-ji on Mt. Minobu: the bus from Minobu Station, the grounds and the Oeshiki service described in an old gazetteer, the early morning service and the Minobusan Treasure Museum, the ropeway to the summit, and a yuba lunch at the top. It covers how to get there and how the pieces fit together.
Getting to Kuon-ji from Minobu Station
Kuon-ji sits on Mt. Minobu, and the simplest approach is by rail and bus. From Kofu, the JR Minobu Line limited express reaches Minobu Station in about one hour, and a through limited express also arrives from Shizuoka. At Minobu Station a bus takes you to Minobusan in about twelve minutes, so the journey works as a day trip.
- Take the JR Minobu Line limited express to Minobu Station, about one hour from Kofu.
- At Minobu Station, board the bus for Minobusan; the fare is listed below.
- Ride about twelve minutes and get off at Minobusan.
Ride times from both cities and the bus fare are set out in the table below.
| Leg | Detail |
|---|---|
| JR Minobu Line limited express, Kofu to Minobu Station, ride time | about 1 hour |
| JR Minobu Line through limited express, Shizuoka to Minobu Station, ride time | about 1 hour 20 minutes |
| Bus, Minobu Station to Minobusan, ride time | about 12 minutes |
| Bus, Minobu Station to Minobusan, one-way fare | 300 yen |
Before you start uphill, picture what a Meiji-era gazetteer records: a temple town of merchant houses lining the approach to Sanmon, the main gate, and a long stone stairway climbing from that gate's site to the central grounds where the principal halls stand. Whatever has changed since, plan the morning around a climb on foot rather than a short stroll.
If you would rather leave the logistics to someone else, tours and activities around Minobu are worth comparing.
Inside Kuon-ji: The Grounds and the Oeshiki Service
A Meiji-era gazetteer records Kuon-ji as the head temple of Nichiren Buddhism and counts it among the celebrated sights of Kai, the old name for this province. Its origin is said to lie in Nichiren's arrival on Mt. Minobu, where he built a hermitage in the western valley. Give the grounds a full morning, not a passing look.
The same gazetteer describes grounds spread across several valleys, halls scattered through them like stars. It places the mausoleum in the western valley, where Nichiren is said to have built that hermitage, an octagonal hall beside it, reached by turning left off the stone steps before the main hall. Leave time to look for them beyond the main hall.
Each October, the gazetteer notes, the main hall holds Oeshiki, the annual memorial service for Nichiren. The gazetteer records that followers gathered from across the country, and that countless lanterns and rising incense smoke made a spectacular scene. If you are curious about the service, check the temple's current schedule before planning around it.
Where to stay
Places to stay near Minobu, Yamanashi →
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Morning Service, Visiting Hours and the Treasure Museum
The morning service in the main hall starts early, and its start time is in the table at the end of this section. The reception window is open from early morning through late afternoon, so attending the service and handling anything you need at the window is realistic. Build the rest of the day outward from that early start.
If the early service is the reason you are going, places to stay in Minobu are worth sorting out before anything else.
The Minobusan Treasure Museum is the natural next stop. Admission has a general rate for high school students and older and a different rate for junior high and elementary school students; the museum's hours and its cutoff for entry sit alongside both prices in the same table. Plan to be inside well before that cutoff, not at the last minute.
| Place or item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Morning service at the main hall, start time | 5:30 |
| Window reception hours | 5:00 to 16:20 |
| Minobusan Treasure Museum, admission hours | 9:00 to 16:00, entry until 15:30 |
| Minobusan Treasure Museum, admission, general (high school students and older) | 500 yen |
| Minobusan Treasure Museum, admission, junior high and elementary school students | 200 yen |
Riding the Ropeway to the Mountain Summit
The Minobusan Ropeway takes you to the summit of Mt. Minobu. Under the ordinary ticket there are adult one-way and round-trip fares, plus a child round-trip fare, and the ropeway runs from mid-March to mid-November, with its running times listed below. Decide before buying whether you want one way or a round trip.
At the top, a Meiji-era gazetteer records Okunoin, the inner sanctuary, on the flat summit ground, with a founder's hall also called Shishinkaku. Nichiren is said to have climbed this peak over long years to gaze toward distant Awa, where his parents lay buried, and pray for them. Give yourself time at the gate of Shishinkaku before lunch.
The view from that peak is said to take in the mountains of Suruga, Izu and Boso to the southeast, and the peaks of Kai to the northeast across the Fuji River. Clear weather decides how much you see. Check the last descent time in the ropeway table before you ride up, and keep it in mind up there.
| Minobusan Ropeway | Detail |
|---|---|
| Ropeway adult, round trip, ordinary ticket | 1,700 yen |
| Ropeway adult, one way, ordinary ticket | 1,060 yen |
| Ropeway child, age 4 to elementary school students, round trip, ordinary ticket | 850 yen |
| Ropeway running period, weekdays and weekends/holidays | March 16 to November 15 |
| Ropeway first departure | 9:00 |
| Ropeway last ascent | 16:00 |
| Ropeway last descent | 16:40 |
Lunch at the Summit: Yuba Dishes
Yuba is the thin skin that forms on the surface of heated soy milk, the milk made by crushing soybeans and straining the liquid through cloth. Makers produce it in different thicknesses and textures, so several kinds are in circulation, and fresh yuba is eaten year-round. Make it what you order at the summit, whatever the month.
The summit restaurant Minobu-an serves yuba as a rice bowl, curry bowl, katsu curry, udon and shio ramen, with prices listed below. It is open on holidays and weekends for the hours listed, while weekday hours are irregular, so a weekend visit is the dependable way to pair the summit with lunch, and a weekday calls for a backup plan.
| Minobu-an summit restaurant | Price or hours |
|---|---|
| Yuba bowl | 1,200 yen |
| Yuba curry bowl | 1,150 yen |
| Yuba katsu curry | 1,550 yen |
| Yuba udon | 950 yen |
| Yuba shio ramen | 950 yen |
| Summit restaurant hours, holidays and weekends (weekdays irregular) | 11:00 to 14:00 |