Best Architecture Spot List

An old shrine that has continued to protect the northeast entry to Kyoto

Surrounded by the old-growth forest of Tadasu-no-Mori, the shrine has records that date back before Christ. It is also renowned as a spiritual place believed to bring good luck in romance.

Encounter a god of matchmaking in a busy district

Yamate 111 Ban-Kan, or the Yamate #111 Residence, is a Spanish-style mansion with red roofing tiles and white exterior walls built inside the Harbor View Park.

This temple is the daihonzan (head temple) of the Kencho-ji Temple school of the Rinzai sect and ranks first among the Kamakura Gozan (Kamakura's Five Great Zen Temples). It has a number of national treasures, cultural assets, and historical structures. The Sanmon (three gates) are a must-see.

Yamate 234 Ban-Kan, or the Yamate #234 Residence, is a Western-style mansion that served as an apartment building for foreign residents. The panel exhibits displayed on the first floor tell the history of the building.

Having many children themselves, rabbits symbolize safe child-rearing here

A shrine that has a beautiful vermilion-lacquered shrine pavilion from the Edo period. It is also called Sanja Gongen (in honor of three men who founded the temple), and the Sanja Matsuri held in May is one of the Three Great Festivals of Edo (now Tokyo).

The traditional god of learning

An ancient temple with a beautiful garden, connected to Murasaki Shibibu

Enjoy the burning red foliage in autumn and the cherry blossoms and rhododendrons in spring

A mysterious building with a unique structure that has two separate stairways

A Zen temple of the Rinzai School built in the scenic area of Arashimaya in Kyoto. It was built by Takauji Ashikaga in memory of the recently deceased Emperor Go-Daigo.

The centerpiece of the sacred Dewa Sanzan

Two different windows overlooking a garden

Famous for its majestic, moss-covered garden

A well-known shrine for its Chichibu Night Festival. Chichibu shrine enshrines several gods and has a history of over 2,100 years.

A historical shrine with a solemn atmosphere built in Gongen-zukuri (style of Shinto architecture in which the main hall and worship hall share one roof). It is designated as National Important Cultural Property. Late April is the best period to see the Azaleas on the premises.

Famous for its deity of scholarship

Stroll along the heart-shaped pond in the garden