Today unaffiliated, Jissō-in previously was a Tendai school temple connected to the Imperial House. Located in Iwakura in the north of Kyōto, the temple is famous for maple foliage reflecting on a perfectly polished black floor — called “floor Momiji” (yuka Momiji) in Japanese. Note however, that the temple strictly prohibits, for whatever reason, photography of this room. So much that they have one person employed who checks a live video camera and everybody who even dares to put out a camera there gets scolded (!) pretty directly. When I first witnessed this happening to a Japanese lady at my first visit in 2012, this made me feel utterly not welcome, making me write my first (and only) (1-star) review on Google, and not visiting the temple again for a LONG time. Still, Jissō-in’s two gardens – a wet-landscape one in the back and a modern Karesansui style in the front, make for a nice view. So, in 2017, I visited for a snowy morning and came back in summer and autumn. While in autumn, busses and busses of tourists visit this (apparently must-see) spot, during the rest of the year, you may as well be the only visitor. Admission: open year-round. Nearby places of interest: Iwakura Hermitage, Entsū-ji.