Sacred and spiritual destinations in Japan off the beaten path.
Less-touristed spiritual destinations in Japan, for travelers seeking fewer crowds but all the beauty.
Kotohira-gū's 1,368-step climb up holy Mount Zōzu — a staircase that drew hundreds of thousands of pilgrims during the Edo period — sets the tone for what Japan's spiritual landscape can demand of a traveler. These 22 destinations range from Negoro-ji, head temple of the Shingi Shingon sect in the Katsuragi Mountains, to the mikoshi festivals of Miki and the red pagoda rising above Mihara's coastal hills, with Katsuragi and Kakogawa rounding out a country where Buddhist and Shinto traditions shape the land itself.
Katsuragi
This town in Nara Prefecture where traditional temple complexes with red-and-dark-timber halls, stone lanterns, and forested hillside backdrops sit close to…
Seto
This Japanese city in Aichi Prefecture where a dark-roofed temple building sits amid blazing red and gold autumn maples on wooded hillside grounds, drawing v…
Kakogawa
Sizeable Hyōgo city on the water, where a grand wooden Buddhist hall with sweeping tiled roofs and stone lanterns anchors a temple precinct shaded by mature…
Kotohira
Kotohira-gū, the Shinto shrine known informally as Konpira-san, draws visitors to this pocket-sized town in Kagawa Prefecture via a staircase of 1,368 steps…
Miki
A city in Hyōgo Prefecture northwest of Kobe, Miki draws visitors with lively shrine festivals where crowds in matching happi coats carry ornate mikoshi up s…
Mihara
This red multi-tiered pagoda rises above a hillside cemetery with vivid autumn ginkgo trees, overlooking a compact coastal city backed by forested mountains…
Negoro
Negoro-ji, the head temple of the Shingi Shingon sect of Buddhism, sits within the Katsuragi Mountains in Iwade, Wakayama Prefecture, with grounds designated…
Iwade
A Japanese town in Wakayama Prefecture where a striking multi-tiered pagoda and traditional timber hall set against forested hills signal the region's deep B…
Inazawa
A mid-sized Aichi Prefecture city in Japan's Nobi Plain, where a well-preserved Shinto shrine complex — featuring a thatched-roof hall, stone guardian lions,…
Yawata
Yawata, a city in southern Kyoto Prefecture, is home to Iwashimizu Hachiman-gū, a major Shinto shrine that draws visitors to its hilltop setting above the city.
Yabu
This traditional wooden Shinto shrine with paper ema votive plaques and stone statuary stands among tall cedar trees in this rural Hyōgo town, set amid hill…
Katori-shi
Katori, in Chiba Prefecture, is home to Katori Shrine and the historic merchant town of Sawara, whose canal-lined streets are designated a Preservation Distr…
Tainai
A large ornate timber shrine or temple hall with sweeping curved rooflines and intricate carved eaves anchors this coastal Niigata city, which also sits clos…
Hiromine
This hilltop Shinto shrine in Himeji, Hyogo, reached by a broad stone stairway flanked by stone lanterns and manicured pines, with a historic gate and red au…
Izumo
Izumo, in Shimane Prefecture on Japan's San'in coast, is home to Izumo Taisha, one of the country's most venerated Shinto shrines and a major pilgrimage dest…
Soja
This tall dark-timber five-storey pagoda rising above clouds of cherry blossom defines this Okayama Prefecture town, which sits close to upland country and c…
Kitamoto
A compact Saitama city where cherry blossom parks, a tranquil pond with willows, and a traditional shrine with classic tiled rooflines reflect the layered ch…
Arida
Arida, a coastal town in Wakayama Prefecture, is the origin of both the Arida mandarin orange and the mosquito coil — two products that spread from here acro…
Kyotanabe
A southern Kyoto Prefecture city where a striking red-arch bridge, traditional temple gates, and a leafy university campus reflect a blend of heritage and ev…
Dazaifu
Dazaifu Tenman-gū shrine draws millions of visitors each year to this town in Fukuoka Prefecture, southwest Japan, which flourished as the seat of ancient Ky…
Chōfu
Chōfu, on the western edge of Tokyo Metropolis, is known for the ancient temple Jindai-ji and its long-established soba noodles, a tradition recorded in Edo-…
Tatebayashi
A city in Gunma Prefecture known for Azalea Hill Park and Morin-ji temple, home to the Bunbuku Chagama — a Japanese folkloric tale of a tanuki that transform…