Best Shrines Spot List

The mystical, large torii (gateway) that appears as if it’s floating on the lake’s surface is a must-see

This is a historical shrine established about 1,500 years ago. The gods for a good marriage match and family harmony are enshrined.

This is an auspicious shrine because of the kanji characters that are used for writing its name Hodosan can also be read as ”climbing a mountain of treasures.” The deities who protect people from fire, thefts, and other disasters are enshrined there.

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

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).

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

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

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

Yushima-tenjin enshrines Amenotajikarao-no-mikoto, the god of better fortune and sports, and Michizane Sugawara, the god of learning and study. A number of famed scholars and writers visit this shrine.

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.

The head of Japan’s Kumano shrines—famous for matchmaking

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

This lushly green shrine faces Midosuji boulevard and is more than 1600 years old

This ancient temple contains the history of the Southern Dynasty

A shrine built to represent the nation's wish for peace. Yushukan displays relics and wills, and it is worth visiting.

A shrine to the south of the imperial palace for gods who offer directional protection

Here resides the god who watches over Kyoto's kitchens

Where the guardian buck and doe are enshrined

The head shrine of Oshu, boasting 1,200 years of history

Famous for its deity of scholarship