Best Temples around Kansai Spot List

Featuring a garden created by Motonobu Kano

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

Check out the ”Sento Kuyo” ceremony on summer nights

A Tendai sect temple with the magnificent natural monument, Yoryu no Matsu

Tadao Ando designed this temple's main hall

This large temple complex boasts a magnificent ancient hall

The scattered fallen leaves in autumn are beautiful

Fallen leaves on the road to the temple invite you to this high-status monzeki temple

Don't miss seeing the resting place for Shinsengumi members, Mibu-zuka

One of the Monzeki temples of the Tendai sect that enshrines the National Treasure Amida Sanzon (Amida Triad) statue in eternal tranquility.

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.

A vault of many national cultural artifacts from the Nara period

Legend has it that the temple buildings were built by Emperor Shomu. In addition to the exquisite Kamakura-Period-style Romon Gate (National Treasure) facing the old road, there is a Kamakura-Period-style thirteen-story pagoda (Important Cultural Property) towering at the center of the temple grounds. The temple is also famous for its cosmos flowers.

Established by Emperor Shirakawa during the Heian Period, the temple's name derives from the ingo (posthumous Buddhist name) of Yoshiakira Ashikaga, the second shogun of the Muromachi bakufu (Japanese feudal government headed by a shogun). While exploring the precinct, you'll find the graves of Yoshiakira and Masatsura Kusunoki, the busho (military commander) of Nancho (Southern Court) located next to each other. Masatsura was much respected by Yoshiakira even though he was an enemy general. During autumn, the maple leaves turn a striking red (visitors are not allowed to bring in a tripod stand or a unipod).

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

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

Nara’s Great Buddha is seated here

An inn within the temple complex

A tea ceremony sanctuary that started as a gathering of artists

See the brave figures of twelve protective deities