Best Architecture around Kansai Spot List

The traditional god of learning

The oldest shrine in Kyoto

A temple located in the holy mountain of Kurama in Kyoto. Minamoto no Yoshitsune is said to have trained here, and visitors can feel the vibrant energy of nature and the universe.

The mountain villa of Minamoto no Toru, the model for Hikaru Genji

Autumn colors light up the moss garden in this temple's garden of enlightenment

Flowers blossom throughout the seasons at this temple, also known as “The Flower Temple”

A school that embodies the dreams of Buddhist teacher Kobo Daishi

A famous location for autumn leaves, connected to Kukai (Kobo-daishi)

A shrine to visit for breaking bad habits or starting good ones

View the world six meters below the water surface

The abbot’s chambers are surrounded by four gardens

The head shrine of all the Kasuga-jinja shrines all over Japan, it is located on Mt. Mikasa, which has been treated as a sacred area since ancient times. In 2018, the shrine commemorated its 1,250th anniversary.

A Zen temple of the Rinzai Sect of Buddhism, world famous for its traditional rock garden.

The head shrine of all the Inari-jinja shrines across Japan. Its approximately 1,000 photogenic torii gates (an archway to a Shinto shrine) attract many visitors.

The head temple of the Shingon Sect's Omuro School. Holding a long association with the Imperial Household, the temple is also well known for its late-blooming cherry trees called Omuro-zakura.

Himeji’s famous mountain-top temple

A famous shrine that plays a central role in the Gion Festival

A sacred place connected to Hideyoshi

A temple that has existed since the Warring States period and is connected to Nobunaga

The head temple of the Myoshin-ji Temple school of the Rinzai sect. It is Japan's largest Zen temple, with 46 sub-temples.