Best Temples Spot List

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

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.

Famous for its majestic, moss-covered garden

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

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.

Happiness arrives with the buzzing of bell crickets

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

This temple guesthouse is home to national treasures

This Buddhist school was established by the Chinese monk Jianzhen

This temple is one of the Three Mountains of the Kanto region for the Chisan sect of Shingon Buddhism and is well-known as a temple to ward off evil. Enjoy the shops in the surrounding streets after attending a Goma Rite (a ceremony in which Goma wood is burned in a fireplace on the Goma platform).

Quietly praying to the rakan statues on the hillsides

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

Indulge in tea while gazing at the garden

Hasedera or the Hasedera Temple is an old temple with a view of the ocean and the town of Hase in Kamakura. Various flowers bloom in the garden from season to season. Its principal image of worship is one of the largest wooden statues in Japan.

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

Magnificent views await at the end of the 1,015-step climb

A grand temple complex established on Mount Koya some 900 years ago

A temple built upon the request of Emperor Tenmu during the Hakuho Period. Reconstructed in recent years, the temple structures showcase beautiful, vibrant colors.

The Naritasan Shinshoji Temple has attracted many worshipers for more than 1,000 years. There are many assets designated as an Important Cultural Properties on its vast temple grounds.

Featuring a garden created by Motonobu Kano