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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Kinkaku-ji
Golden Pavilion Temple
Kyoto's golden icon, where a pavilion sheathed in real gold leaf floats above its mirror-still po...
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 ...
Nanzen-ji
Nanzen-ji Temple
Highest-ranked Rinzai Zen temple in Kyoto. The 22-meter sanmon gate has city views from the top. ...
Zenko-ji
Zenko-ji Temple
One of Japan's most important and popular temples, home to the first Buddhist statue ever brought...
Chusonji Temple
Golden Hall of the Northern Fujiwara
A UNESCO World Heritage temple complex featuring the stunning Konjikido, a hall covered entirely ...
Meigetsuin
The Hydrangea Temple of Kamakura
'Hydrangea Temple.' 2,500 blue bushes bloom in June, and the deep blue is called 'Meigetsuin Blue...
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...
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...