The climb to the viewing point at Daimonji-yama takes about 40 minutes starting from Ginkaku-ji, although you can continue deeper into the mountain if a longer journey is what you seek. This is a relatively easy hike, as you’ll notice many elderly Japanese locals effortlessly make their way up the hill, some on a full-blown run who’ll still find enough breath to greet you with a “Konnichiwa” as they run by. Although Daimon-ji is popular in August during the Daimonji Gozan-Okuribu Fire Festival, the sights and cycles of nature are just as stunning in April/May, and all the more enlightening to view the city from as the seasons change from Winter to a livelier, awakened Spring.
