Buddhism reached Japan in the 6th century, and the temples built since then hold much of the country's finest art and architecture: wooden pagodas, Zen rock gardens, painted screens and enormous bronze Buddhas.
Kyoto has the most, but Nara has the oldest, and a night at a temple lodging on Koyasan gets you closer to daily temple life than any day visit.
When to goAll year. Spring blossom and November leaves are the most beautiful and the busiest; arrive at opening time.
Where to go
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KyotoKyoto · 京都Over 1,600 temples, including Kinkaku-ji, Kiyomizu-dera and the Zen temples of Higashiyama. -
NaraNara · 奈良Todai-ji's Great Buddha and Horyu-ji, among the oldest wooden buildings in the world. -
KoyasanWakayama · 和歌山A mountain-top monastery town where you can stay overnight in a temple. -
KamakuraKanagawa · 神奈川The Great Buddha and Zen temples an hour from Tokyo. -
TokyoTokyo · 東京Senso-ji in Asakusa, the city's oldest temple. -
HiraizumiIwate · 岩手Chuson-ji's gold-covered hall, a World Heritage site.
Good to know
- Most temples charge a small entry fee, often cash only.
- Take your shoes off where you see a step up or a shoe rack, and don't photograph where signs ask you not to.
- Ask for a goshuin (a hand-written temple stamp) at the office; buy the book for them at your first temple.