Tsurugaoka Hachimangu
Yukinoshita, Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan Shinto
Kamakura’s principal shrine, historically tied to the Minamoto clan, samurai rule and Hachiman worship.
The World’s Sacred Places
Sacred Places
Discover a curated guide to significant sacred places, pilgrimage traditions, architecture, documented history and practical visitor information across cultures and faith traditions.
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Curated Discovery
Sacred Places
Browse Sacred Places selected for Templestan’s public collection.
Daihonzan Eihei-ji
Shihi, Eiheiji, Yoshida District, Fukui Prefecture, Japan Buddhism
One of the two head monasteries of Soto Zen, founded by Dogen in a forested mountain valley in Fukui.
Hase-dera (Kamakura)
Hase, Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan Buddhism
Kamakura temple famous for its monumental eleven-faced Kannon and a long sacred-origin story involving a statue carried by the sea.
Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha
Miyacho, Fujinomiya, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan Shinto
Head shrine of more than 1,300 Sengen shrines and a historic pilgrimage gateway for worship of Mount Fuji.
Dazaifu Tenmangu
Saifu, Dazaifu, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan Shinto
Major Tenmangu shrine built at the burial place of Sugawara no Michizane, patron of learning and scholarship.
Chuson-ji
Koromonoseki, Hiraizumi, Iwate Prefecture, Japan Buddhism
UNESCO-listed Hiraizumi temple famous for the gold-covered Konjikido and Pure Land Buddhist heritage.
Oura Cathedral
Minamiyamate, Nagasaki, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan Christianity
Historic Nagasaki Catholic church associated with the 1865 “Discovery of Hidden Christians” and UNESCO Christian heritage.
Risshaku-ji (Yamadera)
Yamadera, Yamagata, Yamagata Prefecture, Japan Buddhism
Mountainside temple in Yamagata reached by more than 1,000 stone steps, with a famous “eternal” Buddhist flame tradition.
Urakami Cathedral
Motoomachi, Nagasaki, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan Christianity
Nagasaki cathedral rebuilt after the atomic bombing, a powerful Catholic site of memory, faith and peace.
Nikko Toshogu
Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan Shinto
Lavishly decorated UNESCO shrine and mausoleum complex enshrining Tokugawa Ieyasu.
Nikko Futarasan-jinja
Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan Shinto
Ancient Nikko mountain-worship shrine dedicated to the deity of Mount Nantai and part of the UNESCO Nikko complex.