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...
Otagi Nenbutsu-ji
1,200 Whimsical Stone Buddhas Hidden in the Arashiyama Hills
At the far end of Arashiyama's tourist trail, this temple surprises visitors with over 1,200 whim...
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...
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 ...
Eikan-do
The Temple of Autumn Leaves with a Looking-Back Buddha
Celebrated as the premier autumn foliage temple in Kyoto, housing a uniquely expressive Amida Bud...
Rurikoji Temple
Rurikoji Temple Five-Story Pagoda
Rising above a tranquil pond garden, the five-story pagoda of Rurikoji Temple has been counted am...
Tochoji
Hakata Temple with a Large Wooden Buddha
A Shingon temple in Hakata that houses the Fukuoka Daibutsu, a large seated wooden Buddha, along ...
Meigetsuin
The Hydrangea Temple of Kamakura
'Hydrangea Temple.' 2,500 blue bushes bloom in June, and the deep blue is called 'Meigetsuin Blue...
Todai-ji
Todai-ji Temple
A UNESCO World Heritage temple housing the world's largest bronze Buddha statue inside the larges...
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...
Senso-ji
Tokyo's Oldest Buddhist Temple
Tokyo's oldest and most visited temple, where a 700-kilogram red lantern marks the entrance to ce...
Ishite-ji
Shikoku's Most Visited Pilgrimage Temple
Temple #51 of the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage and the most visited temple on the entire route, l...
Yakushi-ji
Ancient Temple of Healing with the Frozen Music Pagoda
A World Heritage temple and one of the Seven Great Temples of Nara, celebrated for its elegant Ea...
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...