The Tokyo locations rightly get all the acclaim and attention in ‘Lost In Translation‘ (2003) but it is often forgotten that Kyoto also features for a short time as Charlotte (Scarlett Johanson) visits a temple and a shrine on her little trip to the city.

Back in 2021 I finally visited the latter (Heian-jingu Shrine) to get some screenshot match-ups but I never realised till after that pit-stop in Kyoto that the temple featured was different to what I first thought! Thankfully I could right that wrong in August last year on my second trip of the summer to Kyoto, and I brought along some family members too. Well given that they’re residents of Kyoto (albeit quite new ones!) it’s probably them who guided my wife and I around!

With the addition of a couple or rental bicycles, we all took the fairly simple direct route on a sweltering hot summer morning for about four kilometres to Nanzen-ji temple in the Sakyo Ward of Kyoto. This stately Buddhist temple complex is quite a vast area and after entering the grounds the Sanmon wooden gate is immediately approached. This was what I wanted to see thanks to its lightning quick cameo appearance in ‘Lost In Translation‘.

The temple is surrounded by lush, green vegetation, and we got a great view of that from the Sanmon gate, originally constructed in the 13th century, which has steps going up to a viewing area.

The hōjō of Nanzen-ji is directly along the path north of that and was also impressive but not just for the building.

Whilst the usual Buddhist stuff is inside I really wasn’t expecting much more but there is a lot of depth to the building which has a few wooden boardwalks leading to an array of wonderful and important screen paintings on gold backgrounds.

There was also a room for writing some kind of messages of prayer and so my wife’s nephew wrote a quite lovely and surprising wish for someone so young. At his age I would’ve written something way more self indulgent!

The gardens too are very notable and considered one of the best examples of a rock garden in Japan. Built in the 1600s, the garden has been designated a national Place of Scenic Beauty and mirrors natural forms. This serene zen garden consists of 70% gravel.

The Nanzen-ji complex is also home to a beautiful-looking aqueduct which seems to be popular with foreign tourists. It was constructed in 1890 through the temple grounds to carry irrigation water from Lake Biwa which lies about 10 kilometres east of this place.

My main reasons for wanting to this visit Nanzen-ji were due to its small part in movie history but thankfully it offered far more than just a few screenshot match-ups. It proved to be a great alternative to some of the city’s more famous and much busier temples!

Click here to read ‘Kyoto Filming Locations: Lost In Translation (2003)’

Click here to read ‘Tokyo Filming Locations #2 – Lost In Translation (2003)’

Click here to read ‘Tokyo Daytripper: Jougan-ji a.k.a. The ‘Lost In Translation’ Temple’

Click here to read ‘Review: Films Set In Japan – Lost In Translation (2003)’