Country guide
Japan
Japan's sacred geography layers Shinto shrine landscapes, Buddhist temple networks, mountain ascetic practice, island pilgrimage, and urban devotional sites.
345 sacred sites across 106 regions. Use the tradition and site-type filters to narrow in.
Atlas summary
Japan sacred sites overview
Japan sacred sites include major Shinto shrines, Buddhist temples, Kannon pilgrimage circuits, sacred mountains, temple towns, and quiet local places shaped by seasonal ritual.
Use the page to compare regional clusters and traditions, then move into route-linked sites and individual pages for coordinates, context, and nearby sacred stops.
| Coverage | 345 sacred sites across 106 regions. |
|---|---|
| Regional clusters | |
| Traditions | |
| Site types | |
| UNESCO heritage | 5 UNESCO-tagged sites in this country guide. |
Dates connected to Japan
Upcoming festivals, feast days, and pilgrimages tied to Japan. Add any to your calendar, or see the full observance calendar.
Showing 337-345 of 345 sites in this country guide
Yokei-ji
Setouchi, Japan
Yokei-ji crowns Ueterasan, a low hill above the rice plains of Setouchi City. Founded in the eighth century and long affiliated with the Tendai school, the temple holds...
Yōkoku-ji
Japan
Yōkoku-ji — known to most Kyotoites as Yanagidani Kannon — joins three rare devotional layers in one Nishiyama mountainside: a hibutsu Eleven-faced Thousand-armed Kannon...
Yokomine-ji (横峰寺)
Saijō, Saijō, Ehime, Japan
Yokomine-ji clings to the northern slope of Mt. Ishizuchi, the highest peak in western Japan, at roughly 750 m elevation....
Yoshimine-dera (善峯寺)
Nishikyo-ku, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
Yoshimine-dera is station 20 on the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage, a Tendai Buddhism temple in Kyoto dedicated to Senju Kannon....
Yubunezawa Stone Circle
Takizawa, Iwate Prefecture, Japan
Four thousand years ago, Jomon peoples of northern Japan established this ground exclusively for the dead and for ceremony....
Yuga Shinto Shrine, Kurashiki
Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture, Japan
Yuga Shrine rises on Mount Yuga in Okayama, where massive sacred rocks have been venerated for over 2,000 years....
Zenjibu-ji (禅師峰寺)
Nankoku, Nankoku, Kōchi, Japan
Zenjibu-ji rests on the cliff-edge of Hachiyō-san — Eight-Petalled Lotus Mountain — above Urado Bay....
Zenrakuji (善楽寺)
Kōchi, Kōchi, Kōchi, Japan
Zenrakuji stands beside Tosa Shrine, the province's first-ranked Shintō shrine, on ground that originally hosted a syncretic kami-Buddha precinct founded by Kūkai....
Zentsū-ji (善通寺)
Zentsūji, Zentsūji, Kagawa, Japan
Temple 75 Zentsū-ji stands on the ground where Kūkai was born in 774. Founded by him in 807 on his return from Tang China, it is the head temple of the Zentsuji-ha school...
Showing 337-345 of 345 sites
Previous pageKey questions
Japan sacred-site questions
- What sacred sites can I explore in Japan?
- Pilgrim Map lists sacred places in Japan across living worship sites, heritage landmarks, pilgrimage destinations, and culturally significant landscapes. The current guide lists 345 sites organized by region, tradition, and site type.
- Which traditions are represented in Japan?
- The most represented traditions include Buddhism, Shinto, Jomon, Zoku-Jomon, Nature Worship, Rinzai Zen Buddhism.
- How should I plan a sacred-site visit in Japan?
- Start with regional clusters, compare nearby places on the map, then open individual site pages for coordinates, etiquette, and sacred context where available.
- Can I view Japan sacred sites on a map?
- Yes. Switch to map view to compare geographic clusters, then open individual site pages for coordinates, visiting context, and related places.