Best Temples Spot List

A temple of flowers, with a circuit-style garden

Main priests' residence of Senso-ji complex where the Three Buddha Statues of Amitabha are enshrined. The temple also houses ancestral tablets of Tokugawa Shoguns.

The main gate of Sensoji Temple. Its huge, impressive paper lantern with ”Kaminarimon” written in kanji is a landmark of Asakusa.

This is a historic temple established in 830 and also known as Kawagoe Daishi. The temple is famous for the 538 statues of rakan (disciples of Buddha) with various facial expressions.

A vault of many national cultural artifacts from the Nara period

Surrounded by nature and visited by many people, Bentendo Temple rises from the center of Shinobazu Pond in Ueno Park.

A soaring five-story pagoda at Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa with magnificent nighttime illumination.

Hozomon Gate houses Nio statues on each side (one called Agyo and the other called Ungyo). The 4.5-meter long giant waraji sandals ward off evil

It is a Buddhist temple in Tsukiji. The exterior of the main worship hall is a stone construction in the ancient Indian style, and the interior of the hall is arranged in the traditional Shinshu-sect temple design and layout.

This is a historically valuable temple that has National Treasures within its magnificent scenery that makes good use of nature. Zazen seated meditation meetings are held on weekends.

The principal object of worship at Ennoji Temple is Enma Daio. It also enshrines the Ten Judges of Hell. You can experience an ancient view of the afterlife here.

It is a daihonzan major temple of Nichiren-school Buddhism. Various historical buildings remain on the temple precincts, such as the Daido large hall, the Honden main hall, the Tahoto jeweled pagoda, and a five-story pagoda.

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

The head temple of the Shinshu Otani sect of Buddhism is located within walking distance from Kyoto Station. The local residents refer to it affectionately as ”Ohigashi-san.”

A temple with a living, breathing aesthetic sense of the tea ceremony

Sanehira Jiro Doi is famous for protecting Yoritomo Minamoto from Kagechika Oba’s army after he had lost the Battle of Ishibashiyama. Joganji Temple is the family temple of the Doi clan. The temple grounds contain many sights of historic interest, including Shichikido, a hall which keeps the seven wooden statues depicting Yoritomo and each of his samurai warriors who played an active part in the revival of the Minamoto family, as well as the Doi family’s burial ground (designated as a Kanagawa cultural property). A Chinese juniper tree planted by Sanehira himself (estimated to be 800 years old and designated as a national natural monument) is the largest and oldest in Kanagawa Prefecture, and its straight, vertical trunk is an impressive sight thought to be extremely rare in Japan.

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

The Western Paradise of the Buddha Amida’s dazzling dream, a gold space that reflects upon a pond

With ancient living and meditation quarters

A three-tiered pagoda and world heritage site, 1200 years old