Temples in Japan

A serene mountaintop temple complex featuring one big, bronze Buddha.

Visitors to this temple are greeted by a massive collection of wooden dolls said to bring good fortune.

Although damaged beyond recognition, this stone god is still said to bring good luck to those who tap on him with a pebble.

Daikon radishes are offered to the Japanese Buddhist counterpart of the Hindu god Ganesha at this historic hilltop temple.

This phallic temple was erected in the forest to honor the tragic death of a samurai lord's son.

The only Buddhist temple in Japan dedicated to breasts.

Although it has never been a secret ninja base, this shrine still has plenty of tricks up its sleeve.

Home to the world's oldest wooden building.

A unique Shinto shrine filled with bunnies and wordplay.

A culturally significant rural temple in the beautiful mountains of Itoshima.

This mysterious medieval grotto holds a grid of sacred wells of unknown purpose.

This 14th-century temple is also known as the "Temple of the Golden Pavilion" for its gorgeous gilded reliquary hall.

An enormous pair of straw sandals woven in the traditional way—to keep demons at bay.

A Buddhist temple on an artificial island that houses a monument to the fugu fish.

Only the face remains of this giant Buddha statue, which is said to be a source of luck for students.

This shrine dedicated to a legendary swordsman has become a pilgrimage site for the ill and infirmed.