NorthWest WaAizu-Wakamatsu Tsuruga Castle
Red-tiled castle tied to the Boshin War.
Source: Official website · Verified 2026-10-15
Temples, shrines and castles
Japan’s great temples, shrines and original castles.
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Bow at the torii, rinse your hands at the water basin, and keep quiet in prayer halls. Some halls ban photos, so look for signs.
Aoshima Shrine
Shrine on a small island off Miyazaki, ringed by wave-washed rock formations.
Source: Official website · Verified 2026-10-17
Byodo-in
Uji temple pictured on the 10-yen coin.
Source: Official website · Verified 2026-10-15
Chuson-ji
Hiraizumi UNESCO temple with the gold-covered Konjikido hall.
Source: Official website · Verified 2026-10-15
Dazaifu Tenmangu
Shrine to the god of learning, famous for umegae mochi.
Source: Official website · Verified 2026-10-15
Eihei-ji
Head temple of Soto Zen in the Fukui mountains.
Source: Official website · Verified 2026-10-15
Engaku-ji
Major Kamakura Zen temple near Kita-Kamakura Station.
Source: Official website · Verified 2026-10-15
Enryaku-ji (Mt Hiei)
Head temple of Tendai Buddhism, spread across Mt Hiei between Kyoto and Lake Biwa. A UNESCO World Heritage site.
Source: Official website · Verified 2026-10-17
Fushimi Inari Taisha
Head shrine of Inari, with thousands of vermilion torii gates up the mountain.
Source: Official website · Verified 2026-10-15
Ginkaku-ji (Silver Pavilion)
Higashiyama Zen temple with sand garden and mossy approaches.
Source: Official website · Verified 2026-10-15
Hikone Castle
National Treasure castle on Lake Biwa.
Source: Official website · Verified 2026-10-15
Himeji Castle
UNESCO World Heritage castle, the finest surviving original castle in Japan.
Source: Official website · Verified 2026-10-15
Hirosaki Castle
Original Edo-period keep in a famous cherry-blossom park.
Source: Official website · Verified 2026-10-15
Inuyama Castle
National Treasure castle with one of Japan's oldest surviving keeps.
Source: Official website · Verified 2026-10-15
Ise Jingu
Japan's most sacred Shinto shrine complex.
Source: Official website · Verified 2026-10-15
Itsukushima Shrine
Miyajima shrine with the 'floating' torii gate.
Source: Official website · Verified 2026-10-15
Izumo Taisha
One of Japan's oldest shrines, linked to matchmaking.
Source: Official website · Verified 2026-10-15
Kanazawa Castle and Kenroku-en
Castle park beside Kenroku-en, one of Japan's three great gardens.
Source: Official website · Verified 2026-10-15
Kashima Jingu
Ancient shrine in Kashima, the head shrine (ichinomiya) of old Hitachi Province, with a long approach through deep forest.
Source: Official website · Verified 2026-10-18
Kasuga Taisha
Nara shrine famous for thousands of stone and bronze lanterns.
Source: Official website · Verified 2026-10-15
Kinkaku-ji (Rokuon-ji)
The Golden Pavilion temple.
Source: Official website · Verified 2026-10-15
Kirishima-jingu
Large vermilion shrine in the forested foothills of the Kirishima mountains.
Source: Official website · Verified 2026-10-17
Kiyomizu-dera
Kyoto temple with a famous wooden stage over the hillside.
Source: Official website · Verified 2026-10-15
Kochi Castle
Castle with an original Edo-period keep.
Source: Official website · Verified 2026-10-15
Kokedera (Saiho-ji) — reservation required
UNESCO moss garden temple; advance reservations are mandatory.
Source: Official website · Verified 2026-10-15
Kotohiragu (Konpira-san)
Hillside shrine in Kotohira to the guardian of seafarers, reached by 785 stone steps to the main hall.
Source: Official website · Verified 2026-10-18
Kotoku-in (Great Buddha of Kamakura)
Kamakura's outdoor bronze Great Buddha.
Source: Official website · Verified 2026-10-15
Koyasan (Kongobu-ji)
Head temple of Shingon Buddhism on Mt. Koya; temple stays nearby.
Source: Official website · Verified 2026-10-15
Kumamoto Castle
Great Kyushu castle being restored after the 2016 earthquakes.
Source: Official website · Verified 2026-10-15
Kumano Nachi Taisha
Kumano shrine beside Nachi Falls.
Source: Official website · Verified 2026-10-15
Maruoka Castle
Castle in Sakai with one of Japan's twelve original surviving keeps, the only one in the Hokuriku region.
Source: Official website · Verified 2026-10-18
Matsue Castle
National Treasure castle with an original keep beside Lake Shinji.
Source: Official website · Verified 2026-10-15
Matsue Castle keep
Original wooden castle keep beside Lake Shinji.
Source: Official website · Verified 2026-10-15
Matsumoto Castle
National Treasure black castle with an original wooden keep.
Source: Official website · Verified 2026-10-15
Matsuyama Castle
Hilltop castle with an original keep, reached by ropeway.
Source: Official website · Verified 2026-10-15
Meiji Jingu
Forested Tokyo shrine next to Harajuku.
Source: Official website · Verified 2026-10-15
Nagoya Castle
Castle famous for its golden shachihoko roof ornaments and rebuilt Hommaru Palace.
Source: Official website · Verified 2026-10-15
Naritasan Shinshoji
Large Shingon Buddhist temple in Narita, a short trip from Narita Airport.
Source: Official website · Verified 2026-10-17
Nikko Toshogu
Lavishly carved UNESCO shrine to Tokugawa Ieyasu.
Source: Official website · Verified 2026-10-15
Okayama Castle
Okayama's black 'crow castle'; Korakuen garden is across the river.
Source: Official website · Verified 2026-10-15
Okinawa Shurijo Park
Reconstructed Ryukyu royal castle park above Naha — check open areas after restoration works.
Source: Official website · Verified 2026-10-15
Osaka Castle
Rebuilt keep and museum in a large castle park, a sakura favourite.
Source: Official website · Verified 2026-10-15
Osaka Tennoji / Shitenno-ji
One of Japan's oldest officially dated temples, south of central Osaka.
Source: Official website · Verified 2026-10-15
Ryoan-ji rock garden
Famous karesansui stone garden in northwest Kyoto.
Source: Official website · Verified 2026-10-15
Sanzen-in (Ohara)
Mossy Tendai temple in Ohara, a quieter half-day north of central Kyoto.
Source: Official website · Verified 2026-10-15
Senso-ji
Tokyo's oldest temple, in Asakusa.
Source: Official website · Verified 2026-10-15
Shuri Castle
Ryukyu Kingdom palace site, under reconstruction after the 2019 fire.
Source: Official website · Verified 2026-10-15
Todai-ji
Nara temple housing the Great Buddha in a giant wooden hall.
Source: Official website · Verified 2026-10-15
Todai-ji Nigatsu-do area
Hall and hillside paths above Nara Park with broad city views.
Source: Official website · Verified 2026-10-15
Tsurugaoka Hachimangu
Kamakura's main shrine at the end of Komachi-dori and Wakamiya-oji.
Source: Official website · Verified 2026-10-15
Udo Jingu
Shrine set inside a seaside cave on the Nichinan coast.
Source: Official website · Verified 2026-10-17
Yamadera (Risshakuji)
Mountainside temple near Yamagata city, about 1,000 stone steps up to the Godaido viewing hall. Basho wrote a famous haiku here.
Source: Official website · Verified 2026-10-18
Zenko-ji
Nagano city temple with a pitch-dark underground passage.
Source: Official website · Verified 2026-10-15
53 listings · updated 2026-10-18
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