Namba Yasaka Shrine
Osaka, Japan
Namba Yasaka Shrine is free to enter and there is nothing to book.
1 ticket or tour
Country
Best temples in Japan
Japan’s sacred sites come in two kinds that most visitors meet side by side: Buddhist temples (names ending in -ji, -dera or -in), entered through a gate with guardian figures and centred on a hall of images, and Shinto shrines (jinja, jingu, taisha), marked by torii gates, a purification basin and a closed inner sanctuary. The catalogue’s 77 sites split almost evenly, 40 shrines and 37 temples. Kyoto has 21, from Kiyomizu-dera and Kinkaku-ji to Fushimi Inari and Ryoan-ji; Tokyo follows with Senso-ji and Meiji Shrine, and Nara with Todai-ji, Kasuga Taisha and Horyuji. Further out are Nikko Toshogu, Itsukushima on Miyajima, Ise and the monasteries of Mount Koya.
Kyoto 21Tokyo 11Nara 5Fujiyoshida 3Osaka 3Uji 3Koyasan 2Nagano 2Nikko 2Otsu 2Aso 1Fukuoka 1Hakone 1Himeji 1Hiroshima 1Ise 1Izumo 1Kamakura 1Kawagoe 1Minoh 1Miyajima 1Nachikatsuura 1Nagasaki 1Nagato 1Narita 1Niigata 1Oarai 1Ogori 1Shizuoka 1Takachiho 1Takamori 1Utsunomiya 1Yoshino 1
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Nanzen-ji
Kyoto, Japan
Nanzen-ji is one of the easiest major temples in Kyoto to visit on your own, and there is little to book in advance.
1 ticket or tour
Naritasan Shinsho-ji
Narita, Japan
Entry to Naritasan Shinsho-ji is free, and the grounds, the halls and the park behind them can all be visited without a…
1 ticket or tour
Nonomiya Shrine
Kyoto, Japan
Nonomiya Shrine is a small Shinto shrine in the Arashiyama district on the western edge of Kyoto, and visiting it costs…
1 ticket or tour
Nyoirin-ji (Frog Temple)
Ogori, Japan
Nyoirin-ji, better known as Kaeru-dera or the Frog Temple, is a small Shingon temple in the countryside of Ogori, south…
1 ticket or tour
Oarai Isosaki Shrine
Oarai, Japan
Oarai Isosaki Shrine stands on a wooded headland above the Pacific coast of Ibaraki Prefecture, and it is free to enter…
1 ticket or tour
Otagi Nenbutsu-ji
Kyoto, Japan
Otagi Nenbutsu-ji sits at the far end of the Saga-Toriimoto valley, well beyond the busy centre of Arashiyama, and a…
1 ticket or tour
Sanzen-in
Kyoto, Japan
Sanzen-in does not sell timed or advance tickets. You pay the admission fee at the gate on arrival and walk round at…
1 ticket or tour
Suwa Shrine, Nagasaki
Nagasaki, Japan
Suwa Shrine is free to enter, open-air and needs no ticket.
1 ticket or tour
Yahiko Shrine
Niigata, Japan
There is nothing to pay at Yahiko Shrine: the grounds are open, and you walk through the torii gates and up to the main…
1 ticket or tour
Aso Shrine
Aso, Japan
There is nothing to book for Aso Shrine. It is an active Shinto shrine in the town of Ichinomiya, part of Aso city on…
No online ticket
Daitoku-ji
Kyoto, Japan
No ticket for Daitoku-ji is sold online, and none is needed for the grounds.
No online ticket
Ginkaku-ji (Silver Pavilion)
Kyoto, Japan
No ticket for Ginkaku-ji alone is sold online, and there is no need for one.
No online ticket
Hie Shrine (Hie Jinja)
Tokyo, Japan
Hie Shrine charges no entry fee and no ticket for it is sold online.
No online ticket
Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen Shrine
Fujiyoshida, Japan
No ticket for this shrine is sold online, and none is needed.
No online ticket
Kiyomizu Kannon-do, Ueno
Tokyo, Japan
No ticket for Kiyomizu Kannon-do is sold online, and none is needed.
No online ticket
Kongobu-ji, Mount Koya
Koyasan, Japan
There is nothing to book in advance for Kongobu-ji itself.
No online ticket
Kunozan Toshogu Shrine
Shizuoka, Japan
No online ticket is sold for Kunozan Toshogu, and none is needed.
No online ticket
Nikko Futarasan Shrine
Nikko, Japan
Futarasan Shrine sells no online ticket of its own, and you do not need one.
No online ticket
Nishiki Tenmangu Shrine
Kyoto, Japan
No ticket is sold for Nishiki Tenmangu, and none is needed.
No online ticket
Oji Inari Shrine
Tokyo, Japan
Oji Inari Shrine is a neighbourhood shrine in Kita ward, in the north of Tokyo, and there is nothing to book for it.
No online ticket
Okunoin, Mount Koya
Koyasan, Japan
Okunoin is free to enter at any time, and no ticket for the cemetery alone is sold online.
No online ticket
Oya-ji Temple (Oya Kannon)
Utsunomiya, Japan
There is nothing to book in advance for Oya-ji. No ticket for the temple alone is sold online;
No online ticket
Shoshazan Engyo-ji
Himeji, Japan
No ticket for Engyo-ji alone is sold online, and none is needed.
No online ticket
Tours and activities in Japan
Temple tours and day trips in Japan
Temples in Japan: questions
How many temples are there in Japan?
This catalogue lists 77 temples, shrines and mosques in Japan, 58 of them with tickets or tours to book online. The most booked are Nikko Toshogu, Kiyomizu-dera, Fushimi Inari Taisha.
Which is the oldest temple in Japan?
Aso Shrine, founded in 281 BC, is the oldest in the catalogue for Japan.
Which temples in Japan are free to enter?
44 of the 77 temples in Japan charge no entry fee, among them Fushimi Inari Taisha, Meiji Shrine (Meiji Jingu), Senso-ji. The entry fee is shown on each page.
Which temples in Japan are UNESCO World Heritage Sites?
20 temples in Japan in this catalogue are on the UNESCO World Heritage List, including Nikko Toshogu, Kiyomizu-dera, Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion).