Tokyo best temples & shrines — 7 most famous, beautiful shrines & best temples in Tokyo

Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples are an important part of the religious and spiritual life of the Japanese people and are a spiritual and cultural experience that any visitor to the Japanese capital Tokyo should experience. Temples in Tokyo attract hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. Some ancient temples have been rebuilt due to destruction, damage by fire, earthquake or war, but they still retain their splendor, antiquity and inherent tranquil atmosphere. So, let’s check out our suggested 7 best shrines in Tokyo (best shrines to visit in Tokyo), best temples in Tokyo (best temples to visit in Tokyo) including most famous shrines in Tokyo, famous temples in Tokyo as follows!

Now, joining us to find out the top 7 most famous and beautiful temples in Tokyo in the article below! And don’t miss the opportunity to visit these sacred temples and shrines on your trip to Tokyo!

Zojoji Temple (# best temples in tokyo)

Zojoji temple is located right next to Tokyo Tower, in the Minato area, Tokyo. You can take the Toei Mita Line, stop at “Onarimon” station and walk for about 3 minutes. The temple was built in 1393 and was moved to Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1598. This is a major temple of the Jodoshin-shu (True Pure Land School) sect and was chosen as the Bodhi temple, enshrining tablets for generations of the Tokugawa family. There are six Tokugawa Shoguns buried in tombs here. Zojoji Temple is filled with history and is a rare temple that has been preserved intact to this day. Next to the temple is the calm Unborn Children’s Garden (Sentai Kosodate Jizo).

At the Shibaen food court, you can dine on daily changing meals with seasonal vegetables or try a serving of Obanzai – traditional Kyoto family cuisine with vegetable side dishes. If you visit Tokyo Tower, you should definitely visit this temple.

• Address: 35 7, 4-chōme, Shibakoen Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan
• Hours: 9 AM–5 PM

Kanda Myojin Shrine (# best shrines in tokyo)

Kanda Myojin located in Otaku, Tokyo is a temple with a history of more than 1300 years. This famous temple is known as the place to worship the god “Edo Souchinju”, the protector of all of Edo (the old name of Tokyo) since the Edo period, loved by many people and playing a role important in Tokyo Shinto worship.

It takes 5 minutes to walk from Ochanomizu station along Hongo Doori main road and you will see the Torii gate leading to Kanda Myojin shrine. Kanda shrine is very beautiful and peaceful. The large precinct also has a rooftop garden, which is a very suitable place for leisurely strolls. The kami (souls) enshrined here include two of the seven gods of good fortune, making this an ideal place to pray for marriage, prosperous trade, business success, disaster prevention, and healing illness,… many people come here to worship. Interestingly, due to its proximity to Akihabara, Kanda Myojin is also popular with tech enthusiasts to buy charms to prevent damage to their electronic devices.

The Kanda Festival, a major festival of Kanda Myojin Shrine and also one of Japan’s three major festivals, has been held in solemn style since the Edo period. More than 200 people carry floats through central Tokyo and about 3 million tourists visit to admire the festival. The Kanda Festival is held in mid-May every two years, if you can, join it!

• Address: 2-16-2 Sotokanda, Chiyoda District, Tokyo

Senso-ji Temple (# best temples to visit in tokyo)

Located in the Asakusa area, Senso-ji is the oldest and most visited temple in the city with Japanese and foreign tourists. The main worship statue in the temple is the statue of Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva. This place still retains the ancient atmosphere of the Edo period.

Right at the Kaminarimon gate at the entrance to Senso-ji temple, there is a giant lantern hanging right in the middle of the gate. This lantern is famous all over the world. The official name of this gate is Fujin Raijin mon (gate of the Thunder God and the Wind God), on the right side there is a statue of the Wind God, on the left there is a statue of the Thunder God. It is a famous photo spot.

Next to Kaminarimon is Nakamise, Japan’s oldest shopping street. On the way to the temple, there are 89 shops with 54 shops in the east, 35 shops in the west, including Ningyoyaki (dollshaped cakes) shop, Kaminari okoshi (crispy puffedrice sweet) shop…will please pleases visitors when coming to Senso-ji temple.

Through Nakamise, you will reach Hozomon gate, which has a 2-storey architecture with 2 overlapping roofs. On both sides of the gate there are statues of Nio guardian statues, and on the upper floor is a warehouse for storing cultural relics. The southwest side has a 5-storey tower, the top floor has relics and the ashes of Shakyamuni Buddha. Tourists can find countless fortune tellers to reveal their future fortunes for a small fee.

• Address: 2 Chome-3-1 Asakusa, Taito, Tokyo, Japan

Meiji Shrine (# best shrines to visit in tokyo)

This Meiji Shrine is Tokyo’s greatest Shinto shrine, located right next to the busy Harajuku Station of the JR Yamanote Line. Meiji Shrine and the adjacent Yoyogi Park create a large woods area in the densely built up city. The spacious temple grounds have walking paths that are perfect for relaxing strolls. Shrine of Meiji Emperor – the first emperor after the fall of the Tokugawa shogunate. Meiji Shrine is dedicated to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken, and houses fascinating memorabilia related to the two.

Meiji Shrine was built in 1920, the temple was destroyed in World War II air raids and rebuilt in 1958. The restored Meiji Shrine still has an authentic feel and a subtle antiquity. the past in this temple.

Meiji Shrine is famous for its Bugaku and Hanabusa (Yabusame) festivals, exhibitions of special national products, and chrysanthemums. At the beginning of the new year, a festival to pray for business prosperity takes place at the temple. Visitors can participate and write prayers on cards or make offerings of their choice. The festival starts at 1:00 a.m. on New Year’s Day in Kaguraden.

• Address: 1-1 Yoyogikamizonocho, Shibuya City, Tokyo, Japan
• Hours: 5:20 AM–5:20 PM

Tennoji Temple (# most famous temple in tokyo)

Located in the heart of Yanaka, Taito-ku is the ancient Tennoji temple. First built in 1274, this temple of the Tendai sect of Buddhism is one of Tokyo’s oldest. Tennoji borders Yanaka cemetery, overlooking Nippori station. With over 800 years old, surrounded by thousands of cherry trees of Yanaka cemetery, Tennoji temple has picturesque scenery and becomes a very quiet place in the middle of crowded, bustling Tokyo.

Around the temple is an elegant wall with modern design, surrounding a simple but beautiful precinct, the centerpiece is a large bronze Buddha statue that has existed for many centuries. Tennoji Temple has been recognized by the Japanese government as a national historical site. A truly beautiful place that is well worth a visit when you are in Yanaka.

• Address: 7 Chome-14-8 Yanaka, Taito, Tokyo, Japan
• Hours: 9 AM–5 PM

Yasukuni Shrine (# most famous shrine in tokyo)

Yasukuni Shrine honors the souls of those who lost their lives in war while fighting for Japan. To date, the temple has registered a total of nearly 2.5 million people. Besides soldiers, the temple also honors those who participated in the forces that fought in controversial wars, including some people considered war criminals in some other countries.

The Yushukan Military Museum on the first floor of the shrine is a place to display information about Japan’s wars. The museum is a unique attraction with many unique documents for those who want to learn about military history.

The shrine has more than 10 festivals held at different times of the year including the annual spring festival and the Mitama festival, where visitors come to pray for lost relatives and friends. Spring with blooming flowers and autumn with carpets of yellow leaves are the most beautiful moments of the year in the temple grounds. Every spring, Tokyo residents and tourists often plan to see hundreds of cherry blossom trees blooming throughout the temple. At Yasukuni Shrine, there is a cherry tree designated as the first cherry tree to signal the blooming season and this is the most anticipated event every year.

Address: 3 Chome-1-1 Kudankita, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan
Hours: 6 AM–6 PM

Inokashira Benzaiten Shrine

Nestled among the lush greenery and beautiful landscape of Inokashira Park is Benzaiten Shrine, a shrine dedicated to the goddess Benzaiten – the goddess of knowledge, music, beauty and art. Just a 1-minute walk from Inokashira Kouen Station (Keio Inokahsira Line), you will reach Inokashira Park and see this beautiful shrine.

The serene shrine stands on an artificial island in a lake in the middle of the park. The statue of Benzaiten located in the temple depicts a beautiful goddess with eight arms. Although beautiful, this goddess has an ancient legend: Couples are warned to avoid going to this park because going there will make goddess Benzaiten jealous and curse the couple, causing them to break up. Even so, there are still many couples there every day because this park is too beautiful to miss just because of a rumor, especially in spring when the cherry blossoms by the lake are in full bloom. You can take a walk in Inokashira park and visit other attractions such as the swan boat, mini zoo, and Ghibli Museum nearby.

• Address: 4-1 Inokashira, Inokashira Park, Mitaka, Tokyo
• Hours: 7 AM–4 PM

Visiting temples is a very meaningful experience, here you can enjoy traditional Japanese historical architecture, learn about the spiritual life and culture of indigenous people, listen to legends from ancient times about Buddhist and Taoist Gods or emperors and shoguns in Japanese history, pray for luck, peace or hear prophets reveal your future… Many wonderful and interesting things are waiting for you to discover here. Try to visit a few of the 7 temples and shrines above if you have the opportunity to visit Tokyo!

Some best day tours, trips, activities and transfer services, tickets in, to and from Tokyo you can refer to

• Private Narita International Airport Transfers (NRT) for Tokyo 23 Wards, Hakone, or Karuizawa
• Private Haneda International Airport Transfers (HND) for Tokyo 23 Wards, Hakone, or Karuizawa
• Airport Limousine Bus Transfers from/to Narita and Haneda International Airport (Free Wifi Onboard)
• Tokyo Amazing Sightseeing Bus Day Tour
• Tokyo Highlights Private Day Tour
• Nikko Day Tour from Tokyo
• Mt Fuji & Hakone Day Tour: Lake Ashi & Ropeway Day Trip from Tokyo
• Nikko Cultural Day Tour from Tokyo
• Tokyo Subway Ticket (24, 48, or 72 Hours)
• Tokyo Skyliner and Tokyo Subway Ticket
• Shuttle Bus Transfers (One Way/Round Trip) from Shinjuku/Ikebukuro to Tokyo Disneyland or Tokyo DisneySea
• Tokyo Disney Resort Park Ticket
• Klook Pass Greater Tokyo
• SHIBUYA SKY Ticket
• Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo – The Making of Harry Potter Ticket
• Skyliner Narita Airport Express Ticket
• TeamLab Planets Ticket
• TOKYO SKYTREE® Ticket
• Limousine Bus Narita or Haneda Airport to Tokyo
• Skyliner Narita Airport Express With Tokyo Subway Ticket
• JR Tokyo Wide Pass
• Sky Hop-on and Hop-off Bus Pass
• 4G Prepaid Sim Card (JP Airports Pick Up) for Japan
• 4G WiFi (BKK and DMK Airport Pick Up) for Japan (Unlimited Data)
• JR Pass for Whole Japan (7, 14, or 21 Days)

Are you looking for more Tokyo travel guide and top things to do in Tokyo: Tours, activities, attractions and other things? Read more: Tokyo itinerary 3 days — What to do in Tokyo in 3 days?