Temples and shrines of Japan by region and city

Hokkaido Shrine

Founded in 1869 to enshrine the deities of land development; set in Maruyama Park, a popular spot for cherry blossom in early May.

Kushihiki Hachimangū

Tutelary shrine of the Nanbu clan, whose treasure hall holds two suits of armour designated National Treasures.

Chōshō-ji and Zenrin-gai

Family temple of the Tsugaru clan at the end of Zenrin-gai, an avenue lined with more than thirty Sōtō Zen temples laid out as a defensive quarter.

Saishō-in Five-Storey Pagoda

Pagoda completed in 1667, an Important Cultural Property and often described as the northernmost of its kind in Japan.

Morioka Hachimangu

The main shrine of the city and destination of the Chagu Chagu Umakko horse procession and the autumn festival floats.

Hoon-ji

A Zen temple of the Nanbu clan with a hall of five hundred lacquered arhat statues carved in Kyoto in the 1730s.

Mitsuishi Shrine

A small shrine around three large rocks linked to the legend of the demon's handprint behind the name Iwate.

Chuson-ji

Tendai temple complex on Kanzan hill, reached by the cedar-lined Tsukimizaka slope, with the main hall, many sub-temples and a treasure museum.

Konjikido

The gold-leafed hall of 1124 with lacquer, mother-of-pearl and ivory inlay, the mausoleum of four generations of the Oshu Fujiwara; a National Treasure.

Gohyaku Rakan

Hundreds of Buddhist disciples carved on moss-covered boulders in a forest ravine in memory of famine victims.

Tsuzuki-ishi

A huge boulder resting on another like a dolmen in the forest, linked in legend to the warrior-monk Benkei.

Osaki Hachimangu

Shrine built by Masamune in 1607 in black lacquer and gold, the finest surviving example of the gongen style of the Momoyama period and a National Treasure.

Sendai Toshogu

Shrine to Tokugawa Ieyasu completed in 1654 by the second lord, Date Tadamune; its main hall and gate are Important Cultural Properties.

Kinkasan

Sacred island off the tip of the Oshika Peninsula with Koganeyama Shrine, wild sika deer and macaques; part of Sanriku Fukko National Park.

Zuigan-ji

Rinzai Zen temple of the Date, rebuilt in 1609; its main hall with painted sliding doors and its kitchen-residence are National Treasures, and caves with carved memorials line the cedar-shaded approach.

Godaido

Small hall on an islet reached by red bridges with open slats, rebuilt by Masamune in 1604; its statues of the Five Wisdom Kings are shown only once every 33 years.

Entsu-in

Mausoleum temple of Masamune's grandson Date Mitsumune, whose shrine hall is decorated with Western roses; known for its moss and rock gardens and autumn colour.

Tentoku-ji

The family temple of the Satake lords, with an Edo-period main hall and the clan's mausoleum.

Yamadera (Risshaku-ji)

Tendai temple complex spread over a cliff face; about a thousand stone steps climb past halls and memorial stones to the Okunoin and the Godaido viewing pavilion. The Konponchudo keeps a flame said to have been brought from Enryaku-ji.

Haguro-san and the Five-storey Pagoda

An unpainted wooden pagoda, a National Treasure, stands in the cedar forest at the start of a stone stairway of some 2,400 steps that leads to the Sanjin Gosaiden, the hall enshrining the deities of all three mountains.

Zenpo-ji

Soto Zen temple revered by fishermen along the Sea of Japan coast as a guardian of seafarers, with a large five-storey pagoda and a pond known for its carp.

Yudono-san Shrine

The innermost sanctuary of the Dewa Sanzan, where the object of worship is a hot-spring rock; visitors walk barefoot and photography is not permitted.

Uesugi Shrine

Shrine to Uesugi Kenshin on the site of the castle's inner bailey, surrounded by the old moat. Its treasury, the Keishoden, displays armour, swords and personal effects of Kenshin and Kagekatsu.

Rinsen-ji

Family temple of the Uesugi with the graves of Naoe Kanetsugu and his wife and of Kagekatsu's consort.

Mochizuri Kannon

Temple of Anzen-ji holding the Shinobu-mojizuri stone known from classical poetry, with a monument to Basho's visit.

Sazae-do

Hexagonal wooden hall of 1796 on Iimori-yama whose double-helix ramp lets visitors go up and down without crossing paths; an Important Cultural Property.

Tokiwa Shrine

Shrine next to Kairakuen dedicated to Tokugawa Mitsukuni and Tokugawa Nariaki.

Mount Tsukuba and Tsukubasan Shrine

Shrine whose sacred body is the mountain itself; its male and female peaks, Nantai-san and Nyotai-san, are reached by trail, cable car and ropeway.

Utsunomiya Futarayama Shrine

The city's founding shrine on a hill in the centre, reached by a long stone stairway from the main street.

Oya-ji

Temple built into a tuff cliff, sheltering a Senju Kannon and other Buddhas carved into the rock from the Heian period, a Special Historic Site.

Nikko Toshogu

Mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu, with the carved and gilded Yomeimon gate, the 'three wise monkeys' and the 'sleeping cat'.

Futarasan Shrine

Shrine to the deities of Nikko's three sacred mountains, with further sanctuaries at Lake Chuzenji and on the summit of Mount Nantai.

Rinnoji and Taiyuin

Tendai temple whose Sanbutsudo hall houses three giant gilded statues; its Taiyuin is the mausoleum of Tokugawa Iemitsu.

Akagi Shrine and Lake Onuma

Vermilion shrine on a peninsula in the caldera lake Onuma near the summit of Mount Akagi, frozen and used for ice fishing in winter.

Kosen-ji

Temple on the hill above the yubatake, traditionally founded by Gyoki, with a view over the square.

Shorinzan Daruma-ji

Obaku Zen temple regarded as the birthplace of the Takasaki daruma, with halls full of dolls returned by their owners.

Haruna Shrine

Mountain shrine among giant cedars and towering rock pillars on the approach to Lake Haruna.

Musashi Ichinomiya Hikawa Shrine

Head shrine of more than 200 Hikawa shrines, reached by a zelkova-lined approach about 2 km long.

Chichibu Shrine

The basin's chief shrine, rebuilt in 1592 on the orders of Tokugawa Ieyasu, with elaborate carvings including the 'chained dragon'.

Mitsumine Shrine

Mountain shrine at about 1,100 m in Oku-Chichibu, guarded by wolf statues and approached through old cedar forest.

Chichibu 34 Kannon temples

Small temples scattered across the basin, forming a pilgrim route of roughly 100 km that can be walked in several days.

Kitain

Tendai temple with halls from Edo Castle – including the room where Iemitsu was born – and the Gohyaku Rakan, over 500 stone disciples of the Buddha.

Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine

Old shrine popular for matchmaking prayers, with a large wooden torii and a summer display of wind chimes.

Chiba Shrine

Head shrine of the star deity Myoken, guardian of the Chiba clan, with a distinctive double-roofed gate.

Naritasan Shinshoji

Head temple of the Chisan branch of Shingon Buddhism, dedicated to Fudo Myoo, with daily fire rituals (goma) in its Great Main Hall.

Niomon and three-storey pagoda

The gate of 1831 and a richly coloured pagoda of 1712, both Important Cultural Properties.

Great Pagoda of Peace

A 58-metre two-storey pagoda completed in 1984, housing exhibits on the temple's history.

Sogo Reido

Temple honouring Sakura Sogoro, a seventeenth-century village headman remembered for petitioning the shogun on behalf of farmers.

Hanazono Shrine

Guardian shrine of Shinjuku beside Golden Gai, known for its November rake markets.

Kanda Myojin

Guardian shrine of old Edo's commoner districts, popular with Akihabara's businesses and fans.

Yasukuni Shrine

Shrine founded in 1869 for Japan's war dead; its war museum and the enshrinement of war criminals make it politically contested.

Tsukiji Hongwanji

Jodo Shinshu temple rebuilt in 1934 by Ito Chuta in an ancient Indian style, with a pipe organ in its main hall.

Mount Takao and Yakuo-in

Shingon temple on Mount Takao dedicated to Izuna Gongen, guarded by tengu statues and reached by cable car, chairlift or trail.

Tomioka Hachimangū

Large Hachiman shrine founded in 1627, cradle of Edo's kanjin sumo; a monument lists every yokozuna.

Kameido Tenjin

Shrine to Sugawara no Michizane with arched bridges over a pond, famous for its wisteria trellises and plum blossoms.

Zojo-ji

Head temple of the Jodo school in eastern Japan, with the Sangedatsumon gate of 1622 and the Tokugawa mausoleum.

Sengaku-ji

Zen temple with the graves of the 47 ronin of Ako and their lord, where incense is offered year-round.

Meiji Jingu

Shrine of 1920 to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken in a planted forest of some 100,000 trees, with a giant wooden torii and an inner garden.

Ekō-in

Temple founded in 1657 for the victims of the Meireki fire, where sumo tournaments were held in the Edo period.

Senso-ji

Tokyo's oldest and most visited temple, entered through the Kaminarimon with its giant red lantern and the Nakamise shopping street.

Asakusa Shrine

Shrine of 1649 beside Senso-ji, dedicated to the men who found the Kannon statue; home of the Sanja Festival.

Ueno Toshogu

Gilded shrine to Tokugawa Ieyasu, whose buildings of 1651 survived earthquakes and war.

Zōshigaya Kishimojin-dō

Hall of 1664 dedicated to the protector of children and childbirth, an Important Cultural Property with a tree-shaded approach.

Kōgan-ji (Togenuki Jizō)

Temple on Sugamo's Jizō-dōri, where visitors wash a statue of Kannon at the part of the body they want healed.

Soji-ji

One of the two head temples of Soto Zen, moved to Tsurumi from the Noto Peninsula in 1911, where monks still train.

Hakone Shrine

Forest shrine on the lake whose red 'torii of peace' stands in the water.

Great Buddha of Kamakura

Bronze seated Amida Buddha about 11 m high, a National Treasure; visitors can enter the hollow interior.

Tsurugaoka Hachimangu

The city's central shrine at the head of Wakamiya Oji, with a hilltop main hall and lotus ponds symbolising the Genji and Heike.

Kencho-ji

First-ranked of Kamakura's Five Mountains, with a massive gate, a Zen garden and a trail up to the Hansobo shrine.

Engaku-ji

Zen monastery in Kita-Kamakura whose Shariden relic hall is a National Treasure and a model of Song-style Zen architecture.

Hase-dera

Temple on a hillside with a tall gilded wooden Eleven-headed Kannon, a cave of Benzaiten and sea views; famous for hydrangeas.

Hokoku-ji

Small Zen temple known for its dense bamboo grove and a teahouse among the stems.

Meigetsu-in

The 'hydrangea temple' of Kita-Kamakura, with a round window framing its inner garden.

Zeniarai Benten

Shrine in a rock hollow where visitors wash money in spring water in the hope that it will multiply.

Kawasaki Daishi

Head temple of the Chisan branch of Shingon in the Kanto, famous for exorcism rites and for its crowded New Year.

Hakusan Shrine

The city's tutelary shrine, beside Hakusan Park, one of Japan's first public parks.

Myōsen-ji

Nichiren temple with a five-storey pagoda, an Important Cultural Property.

Zuiryū-ji

Sōtō Zen temple built for Maeda Toshinaga; its gate, Buddha hall and lecture hall are National Treasures.

Takaoka Great Buddha

Seated bronze Amida of 1933 made by the city's casters, often counted among Japan's three great Buddhas.

Myōryū-ji

Temple in Teramachi known as Ninja-dera for its hidden stairways and trap doors.

Oyama Shrine

Shrine to Maeda Toshiie, with a gate of 1875 topped by a stained-glass window.

Sōji-ji Soin

Original site of one of the two head temples of Sōtō Zen, in Monzen.

Shibata Shrine and Kitanoshō Castle site

Shrine to Shibata Katsuie on the remains of Kitanoshō Castle.

Kehi Jingū

The chief shrine of Echizen, whose vermilion wooden torii is counted among Japan's three great torii.

Kanegasaki-gū

Shrine on the hill of Kanegasaki Castle, scene of battles in the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries.

Takeda Shrine

Shrine to Shingen on the site of the Tsutsujigasaki residence, whose moats and earthworks survive.

Kai Zenkō-ji

Temple founded by Shingen with a vast main hall and a "singing dragon" ceiling that echoes when clapped under.

Kawaguchi Asama Shrine

Shrine founded after the eruption of 864, with ancient cedars; a component of the World Heritage Site.

Kitaguchi Hongū Fuji Sengen Jinja

Cedar-lined shrine at the start of the Yoshida trail, with a great wooden torii and Momoyama-period halls.

Zenkō-ji

Non-sectarian temple whose National Treasure main hall has a pitch-dark tunnel below the altar, the okaidan meguri.

Togakushi Shrine

Five shrines on the slopes of Mount Togakushi, the Okusha reached by an avenue of centuries-old cedars.

Shōbō-ji Great Buddha

Seated Buddha of about 14 metres made of a bamboo frame covered with paper and lacquer, completed in 1832.

Onsen-ji

Temple of 1671 reached by a long stone stairway, dedicated to the Yakushi Buddha of the heron legend, with views over the spa.

Myōzen-ji

Jōdo Shinshū temple with a thatched main hall, bell tower and priest's house.

Higashiyama temple walk

Path linking a dozen temples and shrines along the eastern hills.

Hida Kokubun-ji

Provincial temple near the station with a three-storey pagoda and a great ginkgo tree.

Kunōzan Tōshōgū

Ieyasu's first burial place, a lacquered National Treasure shrine reached by 1,159 steps or by ropeway from Nihondaira.

Shizuoka Sengen Shrine

Complex of shrines with richly carved Edo-period halls, where Ieyasu came of age.

Kinomiya Shrine

Shrine with a giant camphor tree said to be over 2,000 years old, a national Natural Monument.

Izusan Shrine

Ancient mountain shrine above the Hashirimizu hot spring, which flows out of a horizontal cave.

Ryōtan-ji

Family temple of the Ii clan in Inasa, with a garden attributed to Kobori Enshū.

Akiha Shrine

Mountain head shrine of the fire-protection deity worshipped across Japan, above the Tenryū valley.

Hōkō-ji

Head temple of a Rinzai Zen branch in Okuyama, with hundreds of stone arhat statues.

Atsuta Jingū

Shrine holding the sacred sword Kusanagi, one of the three imperial regalia, in a forest of camphor trees.

Ōsu Kannon

Temple at the heart of the Ōsu shopping district, with a library of early manuscripts.

Haritsuna Shrine

Shrine at the foot of the castle whose spring festival is the Inuyama Festival.

Senju-ji

Head temple of the Shinshū Takada school in Isshinden; its Miei-dō and Nyorai-dō halls are National Treasures, surrounded by a moated temple town.

Tsu Kannon

Temple of the goddess of mercy at the heart of the old town, counted with Asakusa and Ōsu among Japan's three great Kannon.

Naikū (Inner Shrine)

Sanctuary of Amaterasu in cedar forest by the Isuzu River, entered across the Uji Bridge; the main hall is seen only through its fences.

Gekū (Outer Shrine)

Sanctuary of the food goddess Toyouke near Ise-shi Station; tradition has pilgrims visit it before the Inner Shrine.

Asama-yama and Kongōshō-ji

Mountain temple on Asama-yama above the city, traditionally visited after the shrines; the Ise-Shima Skyline passes it.

Enryaku-ji

Tendai headquarters spread over the Tōdō, Saitō and Yokawa areas of Mount Hiei; the Konpon Chūdō keeps a lamp said to have burned since Saichō's time.

Ishiyama-dera

Temple on wollastonite outcrops above the Seta River, with a National Treasure main hall and tahōtō pagoda; linked by tradition to Murasaki Shikibu.

Mii-dera (Onjō-ji)

Head temple of the Tendai Jimon school, with the Evening Bell of Mii – one of the Eight Views of Ōmi – and a National Treasure Kondō.

Hiyoshi Taisha

Head of some 3,800 Hie and Sannō shrines across Japan, guardian shrine of Mount Hiei, with a distinctive torii topped by a triangular gable.

Ukimi-dō (Mangetsu-ji)

Small hall built out over the lake at Katata, subject of the Eight Views scene "Descending Geese at Katata".

Ryōtan-ji

Ii family temple with dry-landscape and pond gardens, below Sawayama.

Taga Taisha

Major shrine to the creator deities Izanagi and Izanami in the neighbouring town of Taga.

Kiyomizu-dera

Temple on the slopes of Higashiyama, founded in 778, with a main hall and wooden stage built without nails (rebuilt 1633) over the valley; a World Heritage component.

Kinkaku-ji (Rokuon-ji)

The Golden Pavilion reflected in the Kyōko-chi pond; the present building is a 1955 reconstruction after an arson attack in 1950.

Ginkaku-ji (Jishō-ji)

Ashikaga Yoshimasa's retreat, emblem of Higashiyama culture, with its sand cone and moss garden; never covered in silver.

Fushimi Inari Taisha

Head shrine of the rice deity Inari, with thousands of vermilion torii gates lining the paths up Mount Inari.

Tō-ji

Shingon temple whose five-storey pagoda, about 55 metres tall, is Japan's tallest wooden pagoda; monthly flea market on the 21st.

Sanjūsangen-dō

A 120-metre hall housing 1,001 statues of the thousand-armed Kannon.

Daigo-ji

Daigo-ji in Fushimi has Kyoto's oldest building, a five-storey pagoda of 951, and the gardens of Sanbō-in, scene of Hideyoshi's great cherry-blossom party of 1598.

Tenryū-ji

Head temple of a Rinzai Zen school, founded in 1339; Musō Soseki's pond garden borrows the view of the Arashiyama hills.

Nonomiya Shrine

Small shrine with a torii of unbarked wood, where imperial princesses purified themselves before serving at Ise; it appears in the Tale of Genji.

Jōjakkō-ji

Temple on the slope of Mount Ogura, known for its maples and small pagoda.

Adashino Nenbutsu-ji

Temple with some 8,000 stone Buddhas and memorial stones gathered from the old burial ground of Adashino.

Daikaku-ji

Former imperial villa of Emperor Saga with the Ōsawa Pond, one of Japan's oldest garden ponds and a place of moon-viewing in autumn.

Yasaka Shrine

The shrine that gave Gion its name and holds the Gion Matsuri; its main hall of 1654 is a National Treasure, and its west gate closes the end of Shijō-dōri.

Kennin-ji

Zen temple founded in 1202, at the south end of Hanamikoji; famous for Tawaraya Sōtatsu's screen of the Wind and Thunder Gods and a twin-dragon ceiling painting.

Kiyomizu-dera

Hillside temple with a wooden stage built without nails, overlooking the city; a National Treasure and World Heritage component.

Sanjūsangen-dō

A hall about 120 m long housing 1,001 standing statues of the thousand-armed Kannon.

Yasaka Pagoda (Hōkan-ji)

Five-storey pagoda of 1440 rising above the lanes, the emblem of the old townscape.

Kōdai-ji

Zen temple of 1606 with Momoyama-period lacquer work, gardens and a bamboo grove.

Chion-in

Head temple of the Jōdo school of Pure Land Buddhism; its Sanmon of 1621 is one of the largest wooden gates in Japan.

Nanzen-ji

Leading Zen temple with a massive gate, a dry garden and the brick aqueduct of the Lake Biwa Canal.

Ginkaku-ji

The Silver Pavilion at the northern end of the Philosopher's Path, centre of the Higashiyama culture.

Heian Shrine

Shrine of 1895 reproducing part of the Heian palace, with a large vermilion torii and a stroll garden.

Kono Shrine

First shrine of Tango province, linked by tradition to the origins of Ise's Outer Shrine (Moto-Ise); its genealogy scrolls are a National Treasure.

Nariai-ji

Mountain temple, number 28 of the Saigoku Kannon pilgrimage, with a panoramic view of the sandbar.

Chion-ji

Temple of Monju, bodhisattva of wisdom, at the southern end of the sandbar, one of Japan's three great Monju temples.

Byōdō-in

Temple with the Phoenix Hall reflected in its Pure Land garden pond; the Hōshōkan museum shows the original roof phoenixes, the temple bell and half of the 52 cloud-borne bodhisattvas.

Ujigami Shrine

Small shrine whose main hall, dated to the late Heian period, is the oldest surviving shrine building in Japan.

Manpuku-ji

Head temple of the Ōbaku Zen school, built in Ming Chinese style, known for its fucha-ryōri vegetarian cuisine.

Mimuroto-ji

Temple in the hills famous for its gardens of azaleas, hydrangeas and lotus.

Kōshō-ji

Sōtō Zen temple associated with Dōgen, approached by the maple-lined Kotozaka slope.

Shitennō-ji

Temple founded in 593 by tradition by Prince Shōtoku, with a layout of gate, pagoda and hall in a straight line; rebuilt many times.

Sumiyoshi Taisha

Head shrine of the sea deities of Sumiyoshi, with main halls in the ancient Sumiyoshi-zukuri style (National Treasures) and a steeply arched bridge.

Osaka Tenmangū

Shrine of Sugawara no Michizane and centre of the Tenjin Matsuri, beside Japan's longest shopping arcade.

Hōzen-ji

Small temple whose Mizukake Fudō statue is covered in moss from centuries of visitors splashing it with water; the stone-paved Hōzen-ji Yokochō lane beside it is lined with small restaurants.

Namba Yasaka Shrine

Neighbourhood shrine whose stage is shaped like a giant lion's head with an open mouth.

Nanshū-ji

Zen temple linked to the Sakai tea masters, with a dry garden and the graves of the Sen family.

Shukuin Tongū

Destination of the Sumiyoshi Taisha procession each summer.

Ohatsu Tenjin

Tsuyu no Tenjin Shrine, popularly named after Ohatsu of Sonezaki Shinjū and visited by couples.

Osaka Tenmangū

Shrine to Sugawara no Michizane founded in the tenth century, home of the Tenjin Matsuri.

Ikuta Shrine

Ancient shrine in the city centre from whose sacred households (kanbe) the name Kobe is said to derive.

Engyō-ji

Tendai temple founded in 966 on Mount Shosha, reached by ropeway, with the massive Maniden hall and the three-hall complex of Mitsunodō.

Onsen-ji

Temple founded by Dōchi above Kinosaki, reached by ropeway, with an eleven-headed Kannon statue designated an Important Cultural Property.

Izushi Shrine

First shrine of Tajima province, dedicated to Ame-no-hiboko.

Tōdai-ji

Head temple of the Kegon school, whose Great Buddha Hall – among the world's largest wooden buildings – houses the bronze Vairocana Buddha of about 15 metres.

Kasuga Taisha

Vermilion shrine of the Fujiwara clan with some 3,000 stone and bronze lanterns, set beside the Kasugayama Primeval Forest.

Kōfuku-ji

Fujiwara family temple with a five-storey pagoda and the National Treasure Museum holding the dry-lacquer Ashura statue.

Tōshōdai-ji

Ganjin's temple, whose 8th-century Golden Hall is the only surviving main hall of the Nara period.

Yakushi-ji

Temple with the original 8th-century East Pagoda and a bronze Yakushi triad.

Gangō-ji

Successor to Asuka-dera, Japan's first full-scale temple, with roof tiles dating from the 6th century.

Hōryū-ji

Western precinct with the Golden Hall, the five-storey pagoda and the Kudara Kannon in the Gallery of Temple Treasures; eastern precinct with the Yumedono.

Chūgū-ji

Nunnery next to Hōryū-ji's eastern precinct, home to the serene seated Bodhisattva in pensive pose.

Hokki-ji

Temple on the site of a residence of Prince Shōtoku's son, with Japan's oldest three-storey pagoda.

Hōrin-ji

Temple with 7th-century Buddhist statues and a rebuilt three-storey pagoda, among the persimmon fields north of Hōryū-ji.

Kinpusen-ji

Head temple of Kinpusen Shugendō; its Zaō-dō houses three blue-faced Zaō Gongen statues about seven metres tall, shown to the public in certain periods.

Yoshimizu Shrine

Former temple lodging where Yoshitsune hid and Go-Daigo held court, with a famous "thousand trees at a glance" viewpoint.

Yoshino Mikumari Shrine

Shrine of the water-distributing deity in Kami-senbon, with Momoyama-period buildings.

Kinpu Shrine

Shrine in Oku-senbon at the start of the Ōmine route.

Nyoirin-ji

Temple with the tomb of Emperor Go-Daigo, the only imperial tomb facing north – towards Kyoto.

Kishū Tōshōgū

Richly decorated shrine to Tokugawa Ieyasu, reached by a steep stairway at Waka-no-ura.

Kimii-dera

Temple of the Saigoku Kannon pilgrimage with a 231-step stairway and early-blooming cherry trees overlooking the bay.

Awashima Shrine

Shrine in Kada filled with thousands of dolls, where the Hina-nagashi ceremony sends dolls out to sea on 3 March.

Okunoin

Japan's largest cemetery, with over 200,000 graves and memorials along a two-kilometre path through ancient cedars to Kūkai's mausoleum and the Tōrō-dō lantern hall.

Danjō Garan

The sacred precinct laid out by Kūkai, with the Konpon Daitō, the Kondō and the Fudō-dō, a National Treasure.

Kongōbu-ji

Head temple of Kōyasan Shingon-shū, with Kanō-school sliding doors and the Banryū-tei, Japan's largest rock garden.

Kumano Hongū Taisha

Head of the Kumano shrines, with cypress-bark roofed halls reached by a stone stairway; the three-legged crow Yatagarasu is its emblem.

Ōyunohara

The shrine's original site on a sandbank, marked by one of Japan's largest torii.

Tōkei Shrine

Shrine in the town centre, added to the World Heritage site in 2016, known for its legend of cockfights.

Hakuto Shrine

Shrine to the White Hare of Inaba beside Hakuto Beach, the setting of the Kojiki myth.

Ube Shrine

The ichinomiya (chief shrine) of Inaba Province, in the old provincial capital district of Kokufu.

Gesshō-ji

Family temple of the Matsudaira lords with nine mausoleums, known for its hydrangeas and a giant stone turtle.

Kamosu Shrine

Its main hall of 1583 is the oldest surviving building in the taisha-zukuri style and a National Treasure.

Yaegaki Shrine

Shrine to Susanoo and Kushinada-hime, visited for matchmaking; visitors float paper on the Mirror Pond to read their fortune in love.

Izumo Taisha

Shrine of Ōkuninushi with a 24-metre main hall in the ancient taisha-zukuri style; worshippers bow twice, clap four times and bow once.

Kagura-den

Hall of the shrine hung with one of the largest shimenawa (sacred straw ropes) in Japan.

Hinomisaki Shrine

A vermilion shrine complex by the sea dedicated to Amaterasu and Susanoo.

Taikodani Inari Shrine

A hillside Inari shrine reached through a long tunnel of red torii, counted among Japan's major Inari shrines.

Kibitsu Shrine

Shrine of Prince Kibitsuhiko with a main hall of 1425 in a unique double-gabled style, a National Treasure, and a 360-metre covered corridor.

Kibitsuhiko Shrine

The ichinomiya of Bizen Province at the foot of Mount Kinaka, aligned so that the solstice sun rises over its main gate.

Saidai-ji

A Shingon temple by the Yoshii River, site of the Eyō naked festival.

Achi Shrine

Shrine on Tsurugata hill above the quarter, with an ancient wisteria and views over the rooftops.

Mitaki-dera

A wooded temple with three waterfalls and a pagoda moved from Wakayama, known for autumn colours.

Itsukushima Shrine

Vermilion halls and corridors standing on piles over the tidal flats, with main buildings designated National Treasures.

Great Torii

A camphor-wood gate about 16 metres high standing in the sea, held in place by its own weight.

Daishō-in

The island's leading Shingon temple, with rows of Buddhist statues and prayer wheels on its stairway.

Senjōkaku

A vast, unfinished hall of about 857 tatami mats begun for Hideyoshi, beside the five-storey pagoda.

Senkō-ji

A vermilion hillside temple among huge boulders, reached by ropeway or stairs, with the classic view over the channel.

Jōdo-ji

Its main hall and Tahōtō pagoda of the fourteenth century are National Treasures.

Saikoku-ji

A large Shingon temple with a gate hung with a giant straw sandal and a three-storey pagoda.

Kōsan-ji

A temple on Ikuchijima built from 1936 with replicas of famous buildings, and a marble garden, the Hill of Hope.

Rurikō-ji five-storey pagoda

A cypress-bark pagoda of 1442 reflected in a pond, a National Treasure counted among Japan's three finest pagodas.

Ryūfuku-ji

Temple on the site of the Ōuchi residence, whose excavated gardens and moats are a National Historic Site.

Tōkō-ji

Ōbaku Zen family temple of the Mōri, with the lords' graves lined by about 500 stone lanterns.

Akama Shrine

Shrine to Emperor Antoku with a vermilion, palace-like gate, and the tombs of the Taira and the site of the Hōichi ghost story.

Henro temples 13–17

Dainichi-ji, Jōraku-ji, Kokubun-ji, Kannon-ji and Ido-ji, west of the centre along the pilgrim route.

Unpen-ji

Henro Temple 66, at about 900 metres the highest temple of the pilgrimage, on the Kagawa border and reached by ropeway.

Ryōzen-ji

Temple 1 of the Shikoku pilgrimage, where most pilgrims receive their first stamp and equipment.

Ōasahiko Shrine

The ichinomiya of Awa, with a small stone bridge built by the German prisoners in its grounds.

Yakuri-ji

Henro Temple 85 on the mountain of Goken-zan, reached by cable car.

Kotohira-gū

The seafarers' shrine on Mount Zōzu, reached by 785 steps to the main hall and 1,368 steps to the inner shrine.

Asahi-sha

An elaborately carved hall of 1837 on the approach, an Important Cultural Property.

Ishite-ji

Henro Temple 51, with a Niō gate of 1318 designated a National Treasure and cave passages behind the halls.

Isaniwa Shrine

A lacquered shrine in the rare hachiman-zukuri style at the top of a long flight of steps above Dōgo.

Taisan-ji

Henro Temple 52, whose main hall of 1305 is a National Treasure.

Ōyamazumi Shrine

The ichinomiya of Iyo on Ōmishima, whose treasure hall holds many armours and swords designated National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties.

Chikurin-ji

Henro Temple 31 on Mount Godai, with a five-storey pagoda and a garden attributed to Musō Soseki.

Ichijō Shrine

Shrine to the Ichijō family on a hill in the centre of Nakamura.

Kushida Shrine

The tutelary shrine of Hakata and home of the Yamakasa festival; a decorated float is displayed year-round.

Hakozaki-gū

One of Japan's principal Hachiman shrines, whose gate bears the plaque praying for the defeat of the enemy from the time of the Mongol invasions.

Shōfuku-ji

Founded in 1195 by Eisai as Japan's first Zen temple; its walled precinct keeps a quiet medieval layout.

Tōchō-ji

A Shingon temple said to have been founded by Kūkai in 806, with a large seated wooden Buddha and the graves of Kuroda lords.

Dazaifu Tenmangū

The head shrine of Tenjin worship in Kyushu, over Michizane's grave; its Momoyama-period main hall, arched bridges over the Shinji pond and the 'flying plum' tree (tobiume) are its best-known features.

Kanzeon-ji

A temple vowed by Emperor Tenji, with a bronze bell regarded as the oldest in Japan (a National Treasure) and a treasure hall of monumental Heian statues.

Kaidan-in

One of the three official ordination platforms of ancient Japan, alongside Tōdai-ji in Nara and Yakushi-ji in Shimotsuke.

Sakamoto Hachimangū

A small shrine near the government ruins, associated with the residence of Ōtomo no Tabito and the Reiwa era name.

Mekari Shrine

An ancient shrine at the edge of the Kanmon Straits, beneath the Kanmon Bridge.

Saga Shrine

Shrine to Nabeshima Naomasa and his son Naohiro, displaying cannon replicas from the domain's foundry.

Tōzan Shrine

A hillside shrine with a porcelain torii of 1888, porcelain guardian dogs and lanterns; a railway line crosses its approach.

Karatsu Shrine

The town's tutelary shrine and focus of the Kunchi festival.

Sōfuku-ji

Ōbaku Zen temple founded in 1629 by Chinese residents; its Ming-style First Gate and main hall are National Treasures.

Honmyō-ji

Nichiren temple on a hillside west of the centre, with Katō Kiyomasa's mausoleum.

Aso Shrine

Ancient shrine dedicated to the twelve Aso deities, with a large two-storey gate restored after the 2016 earthquakes.

Ōita Motomachi stone Buddha

Large seated Yakushi Buddha carved into a cliff in the Heian period, one of several stone Buddhas within the city.

Unagihime Jinja

Old shrine of the Yufuin basin, listed in the 10th-century Engishiki, surrounded by tall cedars.

Miyazaki Jingū

Shrine to Emperor Jimmu in a forest north of the centre, with plain cedar buildings from 1907.

Aoshima and Aoshima Jinja

Small island reached on foot by a causeway, with a shrine linked to the myth of Yamasachihiko and a subtropical forest that is a special natural monument.

Udo Jingū

Vermilion shrine inside a sea cave on Cape Udo, dedicated to the father of Emperor Jimmu; visitors throw clay luck balls at a turtle-shaped rock below.

Takachiho Shrine

Main shrine of the district in a cedar grove, with a kagura hall where evening performances are held for visitors.

Amano Iwato Shrine

Shrine venerating the cave where Amaterasu hid, which is viewed from the western sanctuary across the Iwato River.

Terukuni Shrine

Shrine dedicated to Shimazu Nariakira, with a large torii on the city's main avenue.

Kirishima Jingū

Vermilion-lacquered shrine of 1715 in cedar forest at the foot of the volcanoes, dedicated to Ninigi-no-Mikoto; a National Treasure.

Kagoshima Jingū

Ichinomiya (leading shrine) of Ōsumi Province in Hayato, known for its horse-dance festival.

Sonohyan-utaki Stone Gate

Stone gate of 1519 to a sacred grove beside Shuri Castle, where the king prayed before journeys.

Naminoue Shrine

The leading shrine of the Ryukyu Kingdom's eight official shrines, on a cliff above a city beach.

Tōrin-ji

Rinzai Zen temple founded in 1614, with guardian king statues and the adjacent Gongen-dō shrine.