A new journaling tour, "NAKED's JOURNALING TOUR," will take visitors around Mount Hiei, said to be one of Japan's three great sacred mountains, to encounter the culture of prayer and take time to look back on themselves. The tour is planned and produced by NAKED INC. (Shibuya, Tokyo) and runs from Monday, November 9, 2026 to Sunday, January 31, 2027. It is a self-guided day trip.
A Tour That Brings Journaling to Your Travels: Recording Your Own Experiences and Discoveries in Your Own Words
This self-guided tour lets visitors explore temples, shrines, Japanese gardens, and historic satobo (里坊) at their own pace, then record in their own words the insights that arise from the scenery and experiences that stay with them. Using the dedicated guidebook "NAKED JOURNALING GUIDEBOOK HIEIZAN SAKAMOTO" as a guide, participants touch the local culture and reflect on what drew them in and what they felt. Through journaling, putting into words what they discovered and felt for themselves, they spend time looking back on who they are.
At the end of the trip, participants receive an original "Kinenfu" (記念符) commemorative piece, designed by NAKED's creative team to reflect the places visited and the experiences chosen. Together with the record written in their own words, it lets them take home the discoveries and insights from their journey in tangible form.
Saicho's Thought, Kobori Enshu's Garden, and Kano School Paintings: Gateways to Different Cultures in a Single Place
The tour takes place on Mount Hiei and Sakamoto, the town at its foot that grew up in front of the temple gates. It is a land where the culture of prayer and training overlaps with the history of Japanese gardens, art, architecture, and daily life.
Enryakuji Temple on Mount Hiei, the head temple of the Tendai sect founded by Saicho (Dengyo Daishi), has been a place of learning and training handed down for more than 1,200 years. Eminent monks who later left great marks on the history of Japanese Buddhism, including Honen, Shinran, and Dogen, also studied on this mountain. Its history also serves as a gateway to thought and philosophy, to what people have asked and how they have tried to live.
At the foot of the mountain, Hiyoshi Taisha Shrine has long been revered as the guardian deity (護法神) of Enryakuji Temple. By visiting temples on the mountain and the shrine at its base, participants encounter the culture of prayer that lives on in this land.
Choose, Explore, Record, Take Home: The Four Steps of the Experience
1. Choose: Start your journey from the place that interests you right now
Purchase a tour ticket and pick up the dedicated guidebook "NAKED JOURNALING GUIDEBOOK HIEIZAN SAKAMOTO" at one of the designated exchange locations. Using the places and experiences you would like to visit as clues, build your own course to suit your length of stay and interests.
2. Explore: Discover with your own eyes while learning the history
With the guidebook in hand, head to the temples, shrines, and gardens spread across the mountain and its foot, including Enryakuji Temple, Hiyoshi Taisha Shrine, Saikyoji Temple (西教寺), and Shigain Monzeki (滋賀院門跡). Visit at your own pace while touching the history and spiritual culture that lives on in each place.
3. Record: Add what you "felt" to where you "visited"
As you record your experiences at each location, write what stayed with you and what you noticed on the dedicated pages that work together with the guidebook. It is a time to look back not only on what you saw, but also on what you felt at that moment and why it caught your attention.
4. Take Home: The trail of your journey becomes your own "Kinenfu"
At the end of the trip, receive an original "Kinenfu" (記念符) reflecting the places and experiences you visited at the designated issuing location. Where you went, what you found, and what drew you in: this single piece, taken home along with the words you wrote along the way, can help you recall the day's discoveries and feelings after you return.
Tour Details
| Tour Name | NAKED's JOURNALING TOUR |
| Locations | Guidebook-linked sites: Enryakuji Temple (Tōtō 東塔, Saitō 西塔, and Yokawa 横川 areas), Hiyoshi Taisha Shrine, Saikyoji Temple (西教寺), Shigain Monzeki (滋賀院門跡), Shogenji (生源寺), Ritsuin (律院), Kyu-Chikurin-in (旧竹林院), Kunin Yashiki (公人屋敷) Art experiences: Enryakuji Bus Center "Eizantei" (延暦寺バスセンター「叡山亭」), Saikyoji Temple Guidebook exchange: Sakamoto Tourist Information Center (坂本観光案内所), Okuhiei Driveway Office (inside Enryakuji Bus Center "Eizantei"), NIWA (Kyoto Station) Kinenfu issuance: Sakamoto Tourist Information Center |
| Dates | Monday, November 9, 2026 to Sunday, January 31, 2027 Note: Details may change without notice due to circumstances. |
| Ticket Prices (tax included) | Enryakuji + Sakamoto Free Exploration, Standalone Plan: ¥5,900 Note: During the tour period, only visitors who enter through the Ogi Gate of the Okuhiei Driveway can show the guidebook at payment to have the round-trip fee reduced from ¥3,140 to ¥2,000. Enryakuji + Sakamoto Free Exploration, Plan with Cable Car: ¥7,500 Note: Tickets cannot be refunded or changed, except when the tour is suspended or canceled due to the organizer's circumstances. |
| Official Website | https://www.hieizan.gr.jp/naked-journaling-tour/ |
| Organizer | Hieizan Sakamoto Cultural Property Utilization Project Executive Committee (比叡山坂本 文化財活用推進事業 実行委員会) |
| Special Cooperation | Enryakuji Temple, Hiyoshi Taisha Shrine, Saikyoji Temple, Shigain Monzeki, Shogenji, Ritsuin, Sakamoto Tourist Association (坂本観光協会), Kyu-Chikurin-in, Kunin Yashiki, Okuhiei Sankei Jidoshado Co., Ltd. (奥比叡参詣自動車道株式会社), Hieizan Railway Co., Ltd. (比叡山鉄道株式会社) |
| Planning, Direction & Production | NAKED INC. |
This project is carried out with support from the Agency for Cultural Affairs' FY2026 (Reiwa 8) Cultural Resource Utilization Project Subsidy, "Project to Promote the Utilization of Attractive Cultural Properties Across Japan" (令和8年度「文化資源活用事業費補助金（全国各地の魅力的な文化財活用推進事業）」).
