Nanzoin Temple
Home of the World's Largest Bronze Reclining Buddha
Shingon Buddhist temple housing the world's largest bronze reclining Buddha statue at 41 meters l...
Otagi Nenbutsu-ji
1,200 Whimsical Stone Buddhas Hidden in the Arashiyama Hills
A hillside temple at the far end of Arashiyama covered in 1,200 stone rakan carved by ordinary vi...
Toshodai-ji
Ganjin's Legacy and the Finest Nara-Period Architecture
A World Heritage temple founded in 759 by the Chinese monk Ganjin, whose Golden Hall is widely re...
Daikaku-ji
An Imperial Temple with Japan's Oldest Artificial Lake
A former imperial palace turned Shingon temple, famous for Osawa Pond, Japan's oldest artificial ...
Myoryuji (Ninja Temple)
A Temple of Hidden Traps and Secret Passages
A fascinating temple built with hidden staircases, trap doors, and secret passages as defensive m...
Rurikoji Temple
Rurikoji Temple Five-Story Pagoda
Rising above a tranquil pond garden, the five-story pagoda of Rurikoji Temple has been counted am...
Chion-in
Monumental Head Temple of Pure Land Buddhism
The head temple of Jodo (Pure Land) Buddhism, featuring Japan's largest temple gate at 24 meters ...
Ryozenji
Starting Point of the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage
Temple #1 of the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage, where most pilgrims begin their 1,200-kilometer jo...
Eikan-do
The Temple of Autumn Leaves with a Looking-Back Buddha
A Higashiyama temple known as Momiji no Eikan-do for its roughly 3,000 maples, with an Amida Budd...
Kurama-dera
A Mountain Temple of Mystical Energy and Ancient Forests
A powerful mountain temple said to be where Yoshitsune trained as a child. The forested trail con...
Meigetsuin
The Hydrangea Temple of Kamakura
'Hydrangea Temple.' 2,500 blue bushes bloom in June, and the deep blue is called 'Meigetsuin Blue...
Zenko-ji
Zenko-ji Temple
One of Japan's most important and popular temples, home to the first Buddhist statue ever brought...
Gio-ji
A Tiny Moss-Carpeted Temple Steeped in Tragic Romance
A small thatched-roof temple blanketed in luminous green moss, linked to a tragic love story from...
Nanzen-ji
Nanzen-ji Temple
Highest-ranked Rinzai Zen temple in Kyoto. The 22-meter sanmon gate has city views from the top. ...
Chusonji Temple
Golden Hall of the Northern Fujiwara
A UNESCO World Heritage temple complex featuring the stunning Konjikido, a hall covered entirely ...