Religious Places

Ginkakuji is a Zen temple along Kyoto’s eastern mountains (Higashiyama). In 1482, shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa built his retirement villa on the gr… Read the rest

The Great Buddha of Kamakura is a bronze statue of Amida Buddha, which stands on the grounds of Kotokuin Temple. With a height of 11.4 meters, it is t… Read the rest

Ninnaji is one of the many great temples in Kyoto which are listed as World Heritage Sites. It is the head temple of the Omuro School of the Shingon s… Read the rest

Nanzenji Temple, whose spacious grounds are located at the base of Kyoto’s forested Higashiyama mountains, is one of the most important Zen temp… Read the rest

Byodo in Temple is a striking example of Buddhist Pure Land (Jodo) architecture. Together with its garden, the temple represents the Pure Land Paradis… Read the rest

The centuries-old Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima is the source of both the island’s fame and its name. Formally named Itsukushima, the island is… Read the rest

Toshogu Shrine is the final resting place of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate that ruled Japan for over 250 years until 1868. Ie… Read the rest

Muroji is a large temple located in the mountains east of Sakurai City. Stone steps connect the buildings of the mountainside temple, leading through… Read the rest

The Outer Shrine iis one of the two main shrines making up the Ise Shrines in Ise City. Formally known as the Toyouke Daijingu, the Outer Shrine enshr… Read the rest

Izumo Taisha is located in the city of Izumo in Shimane Prefecture, a one hour train ride west of Matsue. It is one of Japan’s most important sh… Read the rest