Best Shrines Spot List

The gateway to Mt. Fuji, this shrine lets you purify body and mind in an atmosphere both solemn and cooling (you might even get a chance to see Shinto ceremonies like festivals, benedictions, or weddings!)

Founded in 1895 for the 1,100th anniversary of the relocation of the capital city to the Heian-kyo, the shrine reproduces the Imperial Palace of the Heian-kyo. It enshrines Emperor Kanmu and Emperor Komei.

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

This is a shrine founded on the vast premises surrounded by the mountains of Nikko. It is familiar to people as the god of luck and marital matchmaking.

Famous for its cherry blossoms and being one of Kyoto’s three Kumano Shrines

Famous for its deity of scholarship

This ancient temple contains the history of the Southern Dynasty

Atago Shrine is a scenically situated shrine perched 26 meters above sea level atop Mount Atago.

Encounter a god of matchmaking in a busy district

Dedicated to Toyo'uke-no-Omikami

Known for its relation to the Fujiwara clan, this shrine boasts spectacular views of autumn foliage

The main shrine hall is a national treasure with droves of people lining up for the New Year’s shrine visit at “Sumiyossan”

Formerly Kumano Hayatama Taisha Shrine, this shrine is located on the grounds where Kumano’s three deities descended

The head Kumano shrine where various Kumano deities are worshiped

Here resides the god who watches over Kyoto's kitchens

The centerpiece of the sacred Dewa Sanzan

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.

An historic shrine favored as a place of rest and relaxation by locals

Known for its god that brings economic blessings

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