Best Temples Spot List

The fierce-eyed Fudo Myo-o (Acala) statue, this Buddhist temple's main object of worship, is really astounding. The backdrop of beautiful red maple leaves is also impressive.

Famous for the Great Buddha of Kamakura which weighs 121 tonnes, Kotoku-in is a Buddhist temple of the Jodo-shu sect.

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

This is a branch temple of the Naritasan Shinshoji Temple on the land of Kawagoe and is famous for its goma-kito (a ritual of consecrated fire) and the flea market on the 28th of every month.

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.

It is the Buddhist temple which is said to be the origin of maneki-neko or a luck-inviting cat figurine, beckoning with its right front paw. In its temple grounds, a number of historical assets still remain.

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

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

The temple hall is classified as an Important Cultural Property, modeled after Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto Higashiyama. The gorgeous vermillion facade fascinates visitors.

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.

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

Nara’s Great Buddha is seated 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.

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

See “Thunder of the Dragon” during special viewings

Famous for its national treasure, a statue of Miroku Bosatsu

One of Japan's famous ancient temples, quietly nestled in Ikaruga

Offer a prayer to Japan's largest Buddha statue in its oldest temple

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.