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The Daily Insight

How many temples are in Japan?

Author

John Hall

Updated on March 02, 2026

How many temples are in Japan?

There are around 100,000 Shinto shrines and 80,000 Buddhism temples throughout Japan where locals visit and pray. They are also very popular sightseeing spots that attract many tourists from all over the world.

Does Japan have a lot of temples?

Japan has a wealth of religious architecture – Kyoto alone is estimated to have well over 2,000 temples and shrines. But it is not just in the large cities where the visitor will find Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines – nearly every village in Japan will have a local shrine or temple.

What is Japan’s most famous temple?

The 7 best temples in Japan

  • Kiyomizu-dera Temple (Kyoto)
  • Kinkakuji Temple (Kyoto)
  • Senso-ji Temple (Tokyo)
  • Hokokuji Temple (Kamakura)
  • Todai-ji Temple (Nara)
  • Sanjusangendo Temple (Kyoto)
  • Shitennoji Temple (Osaka)

What are the temples in Japan called?

A Shinto Shrine is the main physical place of worship for followers of the Japanese Shinto religion. The name of a shrine is typically followed by the suffix jinja. Its main role is to be the home to one or sometimes more kami spirits, worshipped in the Shinto religion.

How many Buddhists temples are in Japan?

There are over 75.000 temples in Japan, some smaller, some very large, so when visiting Japan you will have the opportunity to visit the temples yourself.

Does Japan have Buddhist temples?

Buddhist temples or Buddhist monasteries together with Shinto shrines, are considered to be amongst the most numerous, famous, and important religious buildings in Japan. Such famous temples as Kiyomizu-dera, Enryaku-ji and Kōtoku-in are temples which use the described naming pattern.

What are old Japanese temples called?

Buddhist temples or Buddhist monasteries together with Shinto shrines, are considered to be amongst the most numerous, famous, and important religious buildings in Japan.

What religion is Japanese?

The Japanese religious tradition is made up of several major components, including Shinto, Japan’s earliest religion, Buddhism, and Confucianism. Christianity has been only a minor movement in Japan.

What is a Shinto temple called?

Shinto shrines (神社, jinja) are places of worship and the dwellings of the kami, the Shinto “gods”. Sacred objects of worship that represent the kami are stored in the innermost chamber of the shrine where they cannot be seen by anybody.

What is torii and its purpose?

torii, symbolic gateway marking the entrance to the sacred precincts of a Shintō shrine in Japan. The torii, often painted bright red, demarcates the boundary between the sacred space of the shrine and ordinary space. Torii also identify other sacred spots, such as a mountain or rock.

Is Buddhism Chinese or Japanese?

Buddhism has been practiced in Japan since about the sixth century CE. Japanese Buddhism (Nihon Bukkyō) has given birth to numerous new Buddhist schools, many of which trace themselves to Chinese Buddhist traditions.