Kozan-ji hangs on a forested ridge in the Toganoo hills, north-west of Kyoto, and the way there is the best part. Route 162, the old Shuzan Kaido, follows the Kiyotaki river up from the city through a narrow valley of cedar and maple, past the villages of Takao, Makino and Toganoo. The road is narrow and winding, with tight bends and blind corners, and it moves quickly from city to deep woods. In autumn the maples turn scarlet and the traffic can be heavy, so go on a weekday morning, or in early spring when the valley is nearly empty.
The temple is old, though most of what you see is a later rebuilding. It was restored in the early thirteenth century by the monk Myoe, who made it a centre of strict Buddhist study, and it is best known today for the Choju-jinbutsu-giga, a set of ink scrolls from the twelfth and thirteenth centuries in which frogs, rabbits and monkeys behave like humans, wrestling, bathing and mocking monks. They are often called the first manga, and the originals are now in museums, but the temple holds the memory. The Sekisui-in hall, with its wide wooden veranda, is a National Treasure and a lovely place to sit with a cup of tea.
Tea is the other story here. Myoe was a friend of the monk Eisai, who brought tea seeds back from China, and Toganoo is traditionally the place where tea was first grown in Japan. A small plot is still said to hold the oldest tea plants in the country, which is a charming claim whether or not you check the botany. It is a quiet, damp, mossy place, and the sound of the river is constant.
For practicalities, bring fuel from the city, since the valley is thin on stations; Arashiyama and Kamigyo-ku are the nearest large districts. A small shop or two near the Takao bus stop sells snacks. Parking for motorcycles is limited and the entrance is a short climb on stone steps, which is a good test for riding boots. Summer is humid; winter mornings can be icy in the shadows.