Tofuku-ji

This temple, south-west of Kyoto Station, boasts one of Japan’s top-rated Zen gardens, as well as spectacular scenes of autumn foliage. A pair of wooden bridges face each other, with a ravine of maple trees in between. The scene is a photo-opportunity any time of year, but it’s breathtaking in November. Don’t miss the tousu; nicknamed the ‘100-man loo’, this Important Cultural Property is the largest and oldest communal commode in Japan. Although it is no longer in use, it was once a major source of income for Tofuku-ji, which sold the excrement for compost.