Best Temples Spot List

With ancient living and meditation quarters

Japan's oldest convent was a gift from Prince Shotoku to his mother

An inn within the temple complex

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

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

The head temple of Jodo Shinshu Hongan-ji School and affectionately referred to as ”Onishi-san” in the Shichijo Horikawa district.

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

Located just north of Hokke-do in the Todai-ji Temple complex, Nigatsu-do is known as a place where Shuni-e (Omizu-tori or Sacred Water-drawing Festival) takes place every March. Nigatsu-do was named so since Shuni-e was held in February (nigatsu in Japanese) in the old calendar. Fire destroyed it in 1667, but two years later the current building was reconstructed exactly as it was before the fire. The building's design features a cascading style of architecture, and provides a commanding view of the roof of the Great Buddha Hall and Nara city. The principal image is the Juichimen Kannon, which is never shown to the public.

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 five-story traditional Japanese building, towering in the lush woods, you are sure to find while walking in Ueno Park. It is a National Important Cultural Property.

This is an old temple that is said to have been built in the Kamakura period (1192 to 1333). During the Edo period (1603 to 1868), it became known for the tomi-kuji lottery and was called Edo-santomi (three shrines selling lotteries).

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

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

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.

Mt. Koya is a sacred mountaintop site founded by Kobo-Daishi Kukai in 816, and Okuno-in, which holds the Gobyo (mausoleum) of Kukai is the holiest place on the mountain. Surrounded by thick cedar trees, the approach stretches about two kilometers from Ichinohashi (Obashi) to Torodo and Gobyo, lined with about 200,000 graves and memorial towers including those of historical figures such as Sengoku Daimyo (feudal lords). Crossing Gobyobashi Bridge over the Tama-gawa River leads to the Gobyo of Kukai, who died in 835, and Torodo. In Torodo, you'll encounter a sacred lantern called Hinnyo no Itto or Choja no Mando (Shirakawatou) as well as another 20,000 votive lanterns glowing together to create a fantastic spectacle.