Temple Spots in Japan

Area

Japan
- Japan
- Hokkaido / Tohoku
  
  Hokkaido
  
  Aomori
  
  Iwate
  
  Miyagi
  
  Akita
  
  Yamagata
  
  Fukushima
- Kanto
  
  Ibaraki
  
  Tochigi
  
  Gunma
  
  Saitama
  
  Chiba
  
  Tokyo
  
  Kanagawa
- Koshinetsu / Hokuriku
  
  Niigata
  
  Toyama
  
  Ishikawa
  
  Fukui
  
  Yamanashi
  
  Nagano
- Tokai
  
  Gifu
  
  Shizuoka
  
  Aichi
  
  Mie
- Kinki
  
  Shiga
  
  Kyoto
  
  Osaka
  
  Hyogo
  
  Nara
  
  Wakayama
- Chugoku
  
  Tottori
  
  Shimane
  
  Okayama
  
  Hiroshima
  
  Yamaguchi
- Shikoku
  
  Tokushima
  
  Kagawa
  
  Ehime
  
  Kochi
- Kyushu / Okinawa
  
  Fukuoka
  
  Saga
  
  Nagasaki
  
  Kumamoto
  
  Oita
  
  Miyazaki
  
  Kagoshima
  
  Okinawa

Category

Travel / Tourism

History / Culture / Tour

Ryotanji Temple

4.5

255 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Shizuoka Pref. Hamamatsushi Hamana-ku Inasachouinoya 1989

This temple is located in Iinoya, Inasa Town, Hamana-ku, Hamamatsu City. It was founded by Gyoki in 733. The Ryotanji Garden, made by Kobori Enshu, is an observatory pond-style garden built during the early Edo Period, and has been nationally designated as a Special Place of Scenic Beauty. It is also the family temple for the Ii family, with tombs for generations of the Ii family, Naotora Ii in particular.

井伊家の菩提寺であり、井伊家の勃興に深く関わりのある寺です。鉄道とバスを乗り継いでいくことも出来ますが、本数が少ないため、多くの参拝客は自家用車やレンタカーを利用します。本堂の北側に位置する庭園が素晴らしいですが、この庭園に限らず、境内の至る所が素晴らしいです。本堂に入るところから有料であるため、無料で本堂北側の庭園も愛でることは出来ませんが、無料で立ち入ることが出来るエリアも全てにおいて丁寧に...
Matsunoo Taisha

4.0

183 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Kyoto Kyoutoshi Nishikyou-ku Arashiyamamiyamachi 3

The oldest Shinto shrine in Kyoto and located in Nishikyo Ward. Seated at the foot of Mt. Matsuo, the shrine’s object of worship, the distinctive Muromachi period (1333–1568) architecture of the main shrine building is a nationally designated Important Cultural Property. The mountain is seen as the god of sake and has attracted followers accordingly since the Middle Ages; the shrine’s mikoshi hall is stacked high with sake barrels. The waters of the shrine’s Kame-no-I (Turtle Well) are also famed for giving health, long life, and revitalization, and sake brewers, producers, and salespeople from around the country still come here to bring some of the water home with them.

Matsuo Taisha is one of the oldest shrine, and its God is a protector of Sake brewing. I had visited long time ago, but this time I happened to pass nearby, so I paid a visit. As the new year...
Zuiganzan Enkouji Temple

4.5

196 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Kyoto Kyoutoshi Sakyou-ku Ichijoujikotanichou 13

A Rinzai Nanzen-ji Buddhist temple located in the Ichijo-ji area of Sakyo Ward, Kyoto City. The temple was erected in 1601 by Sanyo Genkitsu (Kanshitsu), Zen priest and ninth head of the Ashikaga Gakko school, who was asked to do so by Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu to promote education and learning in the nation. The beauty of the temple’s garden, a traditional strolling garden built around a central pond, is said to have been much praised by ancient people, and is still a must-see today. The garden is filled with sights, including a traditional Suikinkutsu (ceramic pot under the ground) said to purify the soul with the clear sound of the water dripping into it; “Honryutei,” a dry landscape garden; and the “Jyu-gyu no niwa” Garden, famed for its moss and autumn foliage. The temple was also the site where the Fushimi-ban, one of Japan’s first printed books, was created, and the roughly 50 thousand wooden printing type used to make the book kept at the temple are designated an Important Cultural Property as Japan’s oldest printed type.

Its a hidden gem. You need to take the metro, a bus and walk for 15-20min to get there. But its worth. Tranquility, serenity.. and very small statues, very cute. They close at 5pm (in July)
Entoku-in Temple

4.0

181 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Kyoto, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto Kodai-ji Shimogawara-cho, 530

Located in Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto City, this is one of the sub temples of the Kodai-ji, Rinzai Kennin-ji Buddhist temple. Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s legal wife, Kitanomandokoro (known as Nene), spent the last 19 years of her life here. The temple’s North Garden is comprised of the Kesho palace and garden at Fushimi Castle, places where Nene spent much time with Hideyoshi, which were moved here by Nene and prepared by Kobori Enshu (Masakazu). The garden is in the Momoyama period style and is a nationally designated Place of Scenic Beauty. The temple also possesses numerous Important Cultural Properties, including screen paintings by Hasegawa Tohaku (1539–1610). On the third day of each month, the temple makes its principle object of worship, Sanmen Daikokuten (a three-faced figure of Mahakala) which ensured Hideyoshi’s success in life, open to the public. Visitors can make a prayer by writing a wish on a gourd-shaped slip of paper.

This temple is part of Kodajis temple and usually the admission is sold as a package deal. However one can choose to see this single temple. It is a small temple that offers tea services and...
Genkoan

4.5

176 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Kyoto Kyoutoshi Kita-ku Takagaminekitatakagaminechou 47

A Soto school Buddhist temple located in the Takagamine area of Kita Ward, Kyoto City. The temple was founded in 1346 by the priest Tetto. The temple’s “Window of Bewilderment” and “Window of Enlightenment” are frequently presented in television programs and guidebooks. It is said that one will gain insights and be led further towards enlightenment by first gazing at the temple garden through the square Window of Bewilderment, representative of human life, and re-examining one’s life so far, then gazing through the round Window of Enlightenment, which expresses a Zen state of mind and represents the cosmos. The temple is also famous for the main hall’s “Bloody Ceiling,” which was once the floor of Fushimi Castle and vividly portrays the tragedy of the castle’s fall.

A secluded Zen temple in Takagamine, Kita Ward, Kyoto City. The Window of Enlightenment and Window of Lostness and Blood Ceiling are the highlights here. In the fall, when you can enjoy the...
Kishimojin

4.0

234 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

3-15-20 Miscellaneous Shogo Gorge Toshima-ku, Tokyo

A shrine which worships Kishimojin, the goddess of easy childbirth and child rearing. The name of the shrine’s famed osen dango (sweet dumplings) is a play on words—Kishimojin had one thousand (sen) children (ko – changed to “go” in dango), and thus these little treats also serve as a prayer to be blessed with children. The gingko trees on the shrine grounds are said to be some 700 years old and have been designated Natural Monuments by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. The Oeshiki Taisai festival commemorating the Buddhist priest Nichiren’s death is held at the shrine each year from October 16 to 18. During the festival, the approach to the shrine is lined with bustling street stalls.

Kishimojin (Hariti) was originally a Persian (Iran) child eating demon, who converted to Buddhism and wowed to protect the faithful and especially children. This deity is hence very popular among...
Oya-ji Temple (Oya Kannon)

4.0

197 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Tochigi Pref. Utsunomiyashi Oyamachi 1198

This Tendai Sect Buddhist temple in Oya Town, Utsunomiya City, Tochigi has been built surrounded by a cavern. Within the temple are 10 stone carvings of buddha carved directly into the cavern wall including Japan’s oldest statue of the goddess Kannon (the Oya thousand-armed Kannon). These historical artifacts have led the temple to have been designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan, even today the temple draws many visitors.

We have followed Kobo Daishi around Japan, so no wonder that we came here. The temple was founded by him and the thousand-armed Kannon is said to have been his work. In addition to this figure...
Kousanji Museum (Kousanji Temple)

4.0

156 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Hiroshima Pref. Onomichishi Setodachousetoda 553-2

The temple of Jodo Shinshu in Setoda Town, Onomichi City. It was established in 1936 by Kouzo Kousanji, an industrialist, to ensure his mother’s bodai or enlightment. The temple itself is the museum and inside the exhibition hall there are displays of cultural properties such as artifacts of Buddhism, tea ceremony and drawings. Many temples were built mimicking Japanese architecture and 15 buildings, including the main hall, are registered as Tangible Cultural Properties of the country. It is also called “the Sunlight in the West”.

I had the Kosanji Temple marked on my maps as a must when I rode my bike on the Shimanami Kaido. I was really looking forward to visiting the temple but the entrance price really threw me off...
Shinyakushi-ji Temple

4.5

212 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Nara Pref. Narashi Takabatakechou 1352

A Buddhist temple built by Empress Komyo in prayer for the recovery of illness of Emperor Shomu in 747. During the Nara period, the temple was one of the 10 most important in Nara and over 100 priests studied on its vast grounds. In the Heian period, however, the temple’s size was reduced due to lightning strikes and typhoons. The main temple nave looks as it did when first erected and enshrines a seated figure of Bhaisajyaguru, the temple’s main object of worship, as well as standing figures of the Twelve Divine Generals.

This temple is approximately 1,300 years old and the main hall dates back that far. The grounds are small in comparison to its days of glory, but theres still much to see here. This neighborhood is...
Daihonzan Sojiji Temple

4.5

190 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Kanagawa Pref. Yokohamashi Tsurumi-ku Tsurumi 2-1-1

Located around five minutes’ walk from JR Tsurumi Station in Yokohama City, the Daihonzan Sojiji Temple is one of the two head temples of the Soto Zen Buddhism. The forerunner of this temple was the Shogaku Kannondo belonging to the Shingon Risshu (Shingon Vinaya) school, which was located in Wajima City, Ishikawa Prefecture; it was relocated to the present site in 1911. The buildings within the temple precincts include many temple buildings, including the Butsu-den and Daiso-do, as well as the buildings of Tsurumi University, etc. The temple’s cemetery includes the graves of many famous people, including the famous Showa-era actor Ishihara Yujiro.

This temple complex is situated in a a very urbanised area but is totally calm and serene. it is large and there are a lot of temple buildings to see which are very traditional and a centre of Zen...
Kai-Zenkoji Temple

4.0

187 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Yamanashi Pref. Koufushi Zenkouji 3-36-1

This temple is located in Kofu City, Yamanashi Prefecture. It was built in 1558 by Takeda Shingen, who feared that the fires caused by the Battles of Kawanakajima would reach Shinano Zenkoji Temple, as a place to relocate the temple's statues, scriptures, and other properties. The temple's gate and main hall are nationally-designated Important Cultural Properties. The treasure hall built on the temple grounds exhibit some of the temple's countless treasures.

It will be great to read some history of Takeda Shingen from the war period in Japan prior to visiting the temple. A totally historical place that continue to play import religious roles in the...
Mizusawa Kanzeon

4.0

204 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Gunma Pref. Shibukawashi Ikahomachimizusawa 214

The Mizusawa Kanzeon is a Buddhist deity in a temple of the Tendai sect in Mizusawa, Ikaho Town, Shibukawa City. The temple was founded by the order of Empress Suiko and boasts a history of more than 1,300 years. Its principal image is a bronze statue of the eleven-faced Buddha, Juichimen Senju Kanzeon Bosatsu, rarely shown to the public and said to have miraculous powers to assist all those who pray to her. The Mizusawa Temple is the 16th in the Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, a pilgrimage circuit of 33 Buddhist temples in Eastern Japan.

A nice temple that’s worth a stop. Great coffee in the parking lot. Push the temple roller around like you’re Conan for a blessing
Chikurin-ji Temple

4.5

204 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Kouchi Pref. Kouchishi Godaisan 3577

The Chikurin-ji Temple is a Shingon Buddhist temple of the Chizan school, located on Godai-san (Mt. Godai) in Kochi City. The temple’s full formal name is Godai-san Konjiki-in Chikurin-ji. The temple was founded by the monk Gyoki in 724; it was designated by Kobo Daishi (Kukai) as one of the temples included in the Shikoku 88-temple Pilgrimage, and subsequently became known as one of the most renowned ancient temples in the Tosa region. The main object of veneration in the temple is a statue of Monju Bosatsu (the bodhisattva Manjushri), who is associated with insight and wisdom, so students often come to the temple to pray for success in their exams. Besides the main hall, the Daishi-do hall, the five-storied pagoda, and the garden (which is reputed to have been created by the master garden planner Muso Kokushi) are all worth seeing. The temple houses a considerable number of designated Important Cultural Properties.

This experience was hard to put into words. We were in Japan from America for two weeks of business and managed to squeak in some sight-seeing. About half that time was in Kochi, which was...
Shokoku-ji Temple

4.0

140 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Kyoto-shi, Kyoto Kamigyo-ku Imadegawa communication Karasuma HigashiIri

The head temple of the Rinzai Shokoku-ji school of Buddhism and located in Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto City, it was founded by Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. A Zen temple connected to the Ashikaga shogunate clan and the Fushimi-no-miya and Katsura-no-miya imperial family branches, it is considered the second of the five most important temples in Kyoto. The temple was in charge of managing Zen temples on the mountain and played a central role in the administration of Zen Buddhism, but has experienced repeated destruction and rebuilding due to fires and lightening. The Nakiryu (Crying Dragon) painted by Kano Mitsunobu on the ceiling of the Hatto, lecture hall (an Important Cultural Property) was donated by Toyotomi Hideyori (1593–1615).

Just my kind of place, away from the pressing crowds. I hired a bicycle to get to this one and there was hardly anyone there when I visited. Obviously a very important place at some point in time but...
Gokokuji Temple

4.0

154 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Tokyo Bunkyo-ku Otsuka 5-40-1

My lovely wife and I visited Gokokuji Temple on a Friday morning. It is an easy 900 meter walk from the Gokouji station. This is a wonderful little gem of a temple, especially the lesser shrine where...
Yoshimine-dera Temple

4.5

139 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Kyoto Kyoutoshi Nishikyou-ku Oharanoshiochou 1372

A Buddhist temple located in the Oharano area of Nishikyo Ward, Kyoto City. The temple was founded in 1029 by the priest Gensan. The temple is connected to the fifth Tokugawa shogun Tsunayoshi’s mother Keishoin; the hanging bell tower was donated by her to ward evil away from Tsunayoshi. The grounds, located halfway up a mountain, are some 99 thousand square meters in size. Visitors can enjoy some of Kyoto’s greatest views of the city and Mt. Hiei while strolling the grounds, as well as seasonal flowers and plants. In spring, the temple boasts weeping, mountain, and Somei-yoshino cherry blossoms which dye the grounds pink. One weeping cherry on the ground is over 300 years old and is said to have been planted by Keishoin.

Because of its location, it is not as known as Kiyomizudera or Kinkakuji, but in my opinion Yoshimine-dera is certainly one of a must-see temple in Kyoto. On a mountainside there are many small...
Minatogawa Shrine

4.0

201 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Hyougo Pref. Koubeshi Chuou-ku Tamondori 3-1-1

"A Shinto shrine conveniently located a three-minute walk from Kobe Station and Kosoku Kobe Station as well as a five-minute walk from Okurayama Station and Harborland Station. The shrine is dedicated to Kusunoki Masashige, who worked to take down the Kamakura shogunate government and later battled the army of Ashikaga Takauji. Locally, the shrine is known as ""Nanko-san."" The grounds encompass a graveyard and battleground designated National Historic Sites. The Nanko Festival, started as an unofficial festival by private citizens on May 25, 1872, is now held every five years; during the festival, a parade is conducted with people dressed in traditional samurai costumes. The shrine also holds wedding ceremonies throughout the year."

One of the first things that struck me about Minatogawa Shrine besides its beauty was how peaceful it is. There werent a lot of tourists at the shrine and it was nice to walk around and enjoy the...
Koryuji Temple

4.5

193 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Kyoto Kyoutoshi Ukyou-ku Uzumasahachiokachou 32

This temple was built in 603 by Hata no Kawakatsu, with its main object of worship being a statue of Buddha received from Shotoku Taishi. As the oldest temple in Kyoto, it also possesses a number of National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties. Among these, the most famous is the Seated Maitreya statue said to be the most beautiful in all of Japan. It is a Buddhist statue of the Asuka period and is distinctive for its calm countenance and “archaic smile.” October’s “Ushi Matsuri” is one of Kyoto’s three big unusual festivals.

Stumbled upon this temple. I was impressed by the outer garden. Beautiful and zen. And I thought it would be similar behind the ticketed gates. 800Y I was wrong. It only let into the exhibition hall...
Temple No. 84, Yashimaji Temple

4.0

172 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Kagawa Pref. Takamatsushi Yashimahigashimachi 1808

The Yashima-ji Temple is an Omuro-sect Shingon Buddhist temple in Takamatsu City. It is the 84th temple visited on the Shikoku 88-temple Pilgrimage, and is said to have been founded by the monk Ganjin in 754. The Yashima-ji Temple has several Important Cultural Properties, including the Hon-do hall and the temple bell, as well as a wooden statue of a seated Senju Kannon (Goddess of Mercy) which is the main object of veneration in the temple and which can be viewed in the Homotsu-kan (Treasure Hall). Other artifacts on display in the Homotsu-kan include an illustrated scroll of the Genpei Josuiki (an extended version of the Heike Monogotari, or “Tale of the Heike”), a white banner of the Genji clan, and a folding screen painting of the Battle of Yashima.

There are many interesting statues throughout the temple grounds. We were particularly taken by the tanuki statues. On the side of the main hall there is a small pathway through red torii beside...
Bishamon-do Temple

4.5

128 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Kyoto Kyoutoshi Yamashina-ku Anshuinariyamachou 18

A Tendai Buddhist temple in Yamashina Ward, Kyoto City. The principle object of worship is a figure of Vaisravana, seen as one of the Seven Gods of Good Fortune, and the temple is believed to provide aid with achieving thriving business and safety and peace in the household. The temple was originally the Izumo-dera Temple, which was founded by the priest Gyoki at the request of Emperor Monmu in 703. After much hardship caused by repeated wars, the temple was eventually rebuilt in Yamashina. The “moving screen paintings” created by Kano Masunobu which decorate the Shinden hall are famous and make skillful use of reverse perspective to make it seem as if the viewer is seeing them on center regardless of the angle. Located at the foot of a hillside overlooking the Yamashina Basin, the temple is a well-known spot in Kyoto for viewing cherry blossoms in spring and fall foliage in autumn.

This place is not very popular among tourist, unlike Kinkakuji which is known by everybody. And that also the reason I choose to visit this temple. After visit other popular temples crowded with...