Japan
15 Best Religious Sites in Japan
Sensō-ji leads, and the rest of Japan's best temples, churches and sacred sites follow, ranked by real visits.
Ranked by traveler review volume across 1380 tracked places in Japan. Updated monthly.
Sensō-ji
Religious site · TokyoFree entrySensō-ji, located in Tokyo's Asakusa district, is the city's oldest and most famous Buddhist temple. Dedicated to Kannon, the goddess of mercy, the temple draws millions of visitors annually.
Read our full guide →Meiji Jingu
Religious site · TokyoFree entryMeiji Jingu is a Shinto shrine located in Shibuya, Tokyo, surrounded by a sprawling 170-acre forest that feels a world away from the city's hustle.
Read our full guide →Byōdo-in Temple
Religious site · KyotoByōdo-in Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is one of Kyoto's most iconic landmarks. Originally a villa for a powerful noble, it was converted into a temple in 1052.
Read our full guide →To-ji Temple
Religious site · KyotoTo-ji Temple, officially named Kyōō Gokoku-ji, is one of Kyoto's most significant Buddhist temples, founded in 796 AD.
Read our full guide →Heian-jingū Shrine
Religious site · KyotoFree entryHeian-jingū Shrine is a relatively modern Shinto shrine in Kyoto, built in 1895 to commemorate the 1,100th anniversary of the founding of Heian-kyō (the former name of Kyoto).
Read our full guide →Higashi Honganji
Religious site · KyotoFree entryHigashi Honganji is one of the two head temples of the Jodo Shinshu sect of Buddhism, located in central Kyoto near Kyoto Station.
Read our full guide →Kenninji Temple
Religious site · KyotoKenninji Temple is one of Kyoto's most significant Zen Buddhist temples, founded in 1202 by the monk Eisai, who introduced Rinzai Zen to Japan.
Read our full guide →Hōkan-ji Temple (Yasaka Pagoda)
Religious site · KyotoFree entryHōkan-ji Temple, commonly known as Yasaka Pagoda, is a striking five-story pagoda located in the historic Higashiyama district of Kyoto, Japan.
Read our full guide →Atsuta Shrine
Religious site · NagoyaAtsuta Shrine, founded over 1,900 years ago, is a major Shinto shrine in Nagoya.
Read our full guide →Kushida Shrine
Religious site · FukuokaFree entryKushida Shrine (Kushida-jinja) is the most important and beloved Shinto shrine in the Hakata district of Fukuoka, a spiritual heart of the city, affectionately known to locals as 'O-Kushida-san.'…
Read our full guide →Kodai-ji Temple
Religious site · KyotoKodai-ji is one of Kyoto's most beautiful and atmospheric Zen temples, a serene complex in the historic Higashiyama district, founded in 1606 by Nene (also known as Kita-no-Mandokoro) in memory of…
Read our full guide →Shitennō-ji
Religious site · OsakaShitennō-ji, founded in 593 AD by Prince Shōtoku, is one of Japan's most ancient Buddhist temples and a serene escape in Osaka.
Read our full guide →Hanazono Shrine
Religious site · TokyoHanazono Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Shinjuku, Tokyo, founded in the mid-17th century.
Read our full guide →Ōsu Kannon
Religious site · NagoyaŌsu Kannon is a historic Buddhist temple dedicated to the goddess of mercy, Kannon.
Read our full guide →Osaka Tenmangu Shrine
Religious site · OsakaFree entryOsaka Tenmangu Shrine, located in the Tenjinbashi district of Osaka, is one of the city's most revered Shinto shrines.
Read our full guide →
Good to know
What is the best-known of the temples, churches and sacred sites in Japan?
Sensō-ji in Tokyo is the most reviewed, with 96,355 traveler reviews and a 4.6 rating. That makes it the safe choice if you are only fitting in one.
Which of Japan's temples, churches and sacred sites is worth going out of your way for?
Meiji Jingu in Tokyo rates highest at 4.6 out of 5 across 51,258 reviews. Smaller crowds than the headline entry usually explain the gap.
Which city in Japan has the most temples, churches and sacred sites?
Kyoto, with 7 on this list, ahead of Tokyo on 3. The list spans 5 cities in total, capped at three per city so one big city cannot crowd out the rest of the country.
Are any of these temples, churches and sacred sites free to visit?
Yes, 7: Sensō-ji, Meiji Jingu, Heian-jingū Shrine and others. That is based on each place's own visiting information, not an assumption about the category.
How is this list of temples, churches and sacred sites ranked?
By how many travelers reviewed each place, filtered to those rated well enough to be worth your time, drawn from 1,380 tracked places in Japan. No one pays to appear on it, and the order is refreshed monthly as new reviews land.
Rather have a human do the planning? A Local Friend can build this trip for you, at local prices.