Nokogiriyama: Plan a Ropeway Visit to Nihon-ji

The ropeway makes Nihon-ji’s upper viewpoints easier to reach, but it does not remove the walking inside this hillside temple. Choose the upper area for Hyakushaku Kannon and Jigoku Nozoki. Add the Great Buddha only if you have time for the descent and the climb back before the temple closes.

Start from Hama-Kanaya

The ropeway operator lists an approximately eight-minute walk from JR Hama-Kanaya Station to the lower station. Buy a return ropeway ticket if you intend to descend that way, and check the day’s operation before leaving the coast. On October 17, 2026, the operator reported normal service until 17:00.

The normal hours are 9:00–17:00 from February 16 to November 15, and 9:00–16:00 in winter. Bad weather can suspend operation; an annual inspection also interrupts service around mid-January. A four-minute ride is the transport segment, not the time needed to see the temple.

The Great Buddha changes the return

Nihon-ji’s grounds guide places the summit viewpoints and Hyakushaku Kannon conveniently for ropeway access. It warns that visitors who descend to the Great Buddha and return to the same west entrance face a 30–40-minute climb. Leave additional time from that entrance to the upper ropeway station and for boarding.

The temple has many steps and some difficult footing. Its admission hours are 9:00–16:00, with last entry at 15:00; admission is separate from the ropeway. The listed adult temple fee is ¥700. A 17:00 ropeway finish does not give you until 17:00 inside Nihon-ji.

For example, beginning the uphill return from the Buddha at 15:30 could put you back at the west entrance at 16:10 using the longer estimate—already after temple closing, before reaching the ropeway. Start in the morning if both the upper sights and Buddha are priorities. This example is a planning check, not an official cutoff.

Walking access needs a separate decision

The temple homepage currently warns that the Omotesando footpath before the grounds is closed by rockfall and directs visitors to a road detour. It also reports a landslide closure on part of Route 127 between Hama-Kanaya and Motona. Drivers must follow the temple’s current road directions; do not use the normal route description as proof that the southern approach is open.

For a Buddha-focused visit with less walking, the temple’s FAQ describes access by car to the east entrance, followed by two or three minutes of uphill steps. Arrange that approach and return directly, accounting for the road notice. It is a different visit from a summit hike or a ropeway circuit.

For the longer version, set a turnaround time around the temple’s 16:00 closure first, then the last ropeway and your train home.