Best Architecture around Kansai Spot List

A magnificent shrine dedicated to Emperor Jinmu and his Empress

Offer a prayer to Japan's largest Buddha statue in its oldest temple

The only existing merchant house in Kobe Former Foreign Settlement

Famous for its national treasure, a statue of Miroku Bosatsu

See the brave figures of twelve protective deities

A three-tiered pagoda and world heritage site, 1200 years old

The orderly lineup of 1001 thousand-armed Kannon is superb

Be healed by the wabi-sabi of this Muromachi-period elegant garden that transcends space and time

A temple with a living, breathing aesthetic sense of the tea ceremony

With ancient living and meditation quarters

The head temple of the Shinshu Otani sect of Buddhism is located within walking distance from Kyoto Station. The local residents refer to it affectionately as ”Ohigashi-san.”

Nara’s Great Buddha is seated here

The Western Paradise of the Buddha Amida’s dazzling dream, a gold space that reflects upon a pond

See “Thunder of the Dragon” during special viewings

The oldest surviving building of Todaiji Temple. All the Buddhist statues stored here are national treasures

One of Japan's famous ancient temples, quietly nestled in Ikaruga

During the Nara Period, the guardian deity of the hiike (pond where ice used in the Imperial court was made) and the himuro (storeroom for ice), which were built in the Kasugano field beside Yoshiki-gawa River, was enshrined in the shrine. It was later moved to the current location. On May 1 every year, a festival called Kenpyosai takes place in which workers at companies that make and sell ice pray for success in business. The current shrine pavilion is said to have been reconstructed in the Edo Period. Also, the weeping cherry trees in the shrine grounds are very beautiful.

This attraction features a half-size replica of a Viking ship and exhibits related to the children's book author Hans Christian Andersen. Delightful goods made in Denmark are also for sale.

This attraction introduces the culture and history of Austria, with a central emphasis on Mozart. You'll see valuable items on display, such as a replica of the piano that Mozart used for composing, and a music score written in his original handwriting. On the terrace you can enjoy the imperial torte set (1,350 JPY), which is imported directly from Vienna, as well as Austrian beer and wine.

Located just north of Hokke-do in the Todai-ji Temple complex, Nigatsu-do is known as a place where Shuni-e (Omizu-tori or Sacred Water-drawing Festival) takes place every March. Nigatsu-do was named so since Shuni-e was held in February (nigatsu in Japanese) in the old calendar. Fire destroyed it in 1667, but two years later the current building was reconstructed exactly as it was before the fire. The building's design features a cascading style of architecture, and provides a commanding view of the roof of the Great Buddha Hall and Nara city. The principal image is the Juichimen Kannon, which is never shown to the public.