Shrine Spots in Nara Area

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Nara
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Category

Travel / Tourism

History / Culture / Tour

Kasuga Taisha Shrine

4.5

1778 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Nara Pref. Narashi Kasuganochou 160

This is a Shinto shrine located in Nara City. Kasuga Taisha Shrine is the grand head shrine of approximately 1,000 Kasuga shrines nationwide. The origins to the shrine lie in the early days of the Nara period, when Takemikazuchi-no-mikoto from Kashima-jingu Shrine was enshrined at Mt. Mikasa. The main shrine of the Kasuga structure which is a National Treasure has four buildings lined up, and in addition to the majestic and splendid south Gate and middle gate, there are many things such as fine and industrial art objects which have been designated as Important Cultural Properties. The Bantoro Festival (Lantern Festival) event is held on the day of Setsubun (Bean throwing night) and on the 14th and 15th of August when around 3,000 stone lanterns and hanging lanterns are lit with fire, and many worshipers come to look at this magical sight.

The local bus can bring you right to the shrine. The bus is a lot like a trolly and there are two companies. One is 220 yen per ride the other is 100 yen per ride. Otherwise, it’s a bit of a walk...
Omiwa Shrine

4.5

337 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Nara Pref. Sakuraishi Miwa 1422

Omiwa Shrine is one of the oldest shrines in Japan and the site has been sacred ground for some of the earliest religious practices. The Miwa Torii (shrine gate), the gate marking the transition from the profane to the sacred, and the worship hall have been designated as important cultural assets of the country. Although we know from records that the worship hall was founded in the Kamakura period, the shrine as we know it now was rebuilt by Tokugawa Ietsuna, the fourth Tokugawa shogun. The enshrined deity is revered as a guardian deity of human life in the sense of building a nation. People are welcome to join the festivals held here throughout the year. Omiwa Shrine is approximately five minutes on foot from JR Miwa Station.

Omiwa Shrine is the oldest Shinto shrine in Japan. Its wide precinct is filled with a majestic atmosphere. There is a hall of reverence, but there is no tangible body of god. Mt. Miwa, behind this...
Asuka-dera Temple

4.5

198 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Nara Pref. Takaichigunasukamura Asuka 682

Japan’s first fully-fledged Buddhist temple, the Asuka-dera was completed in 596 by through the efforts of the samurai Soga no Umako, who promoted Buddhism in the nation. The temple’s principle object of worship, a bronze seated figure of Gautama Buddha popularly known as the “Asuka Great Buddha,” is Japan’s oldest Buddhist image and a designated Important Cultural Property. The Hana-eshiki Ceremony, which celebrates the birth of Gautama Buddha, is also famous for having first been conducted in Japan here. The temple was once quite large, with a central tower, three-sided main temple building, and encircling galleries, but most of the temple buildings were lost in fire due in the Kamakura period due to lightning strikes. The current main temple building was reconstructed in the Edo period.

No need for me to emphasize “the oldest Budda statue” part of this temple. Some tips on driving there if you use Google map: This temple is in a small village and near quite large rice fields. While...
Tanzan Jinja

4.5

166 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Nara Pref. Sakuraishi Tounomine 319

This Shinto shrine’s origin dates back to when statesman Fujiwara no Kamatari’s son, Fujiwara no Joe, had his father’s ashes moved here and built a 13-tier pagoda in 678. Prior to the official separation of Buddhism and Shintoism in the country, the shrine was a Buddhist temple called the Tonomine Temple. The pagoda, rebuilt in 1532 and a designated Important Cultural Property, is the only extant 13-tier pagoda in the world. Beyond the shrine stands a mountain said to be the location where Emperor Tenjin and Fujiwara no Kamatari discussed the Taika Reform. The mountain thus came to be called “Tanzan,” or the Mountain of Discussion, hence the shrine’s name. In the spring, a 600-year old usuzumi cherry tree and designated Natural Monument comes in to bloom, and the shrine is thus known as a beautiful site for cherry blossom viewing. In addition, in autumn, visitors can enjoy the shrine’s fall foliage when it is colored by over 3,000 maple trees.

I cannot understand why the Tanzan Jinja and pagoda are not covered by the Nara coach tours. We first saw the 13 storey pagoda mentioned in a JR magazine, but the Nara tourist office had no...
Tamaki-jinja Shrine

4.5

115 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Nara Pref. Yoshinoguntotsukawamura Tamaigawa 1

Tamaki-jinja Shrine is a miraculous shrine near the top of the 1,076 meter Mt. Tamaki at the southern end of the Omine Mountains. Legend says that the shrine was built in 37 B.C. in the era of Emperor Sujin in order to guard against fire at the imperial castle and to ward off evil spirits. The shrine is on the World Heritage Omine Okugake-michi (paths) and has prospered as a spiritual retreat for Buddhist Shugendo followers from Kumano and Omine for a very long time. In the grounds of the shrine are gigantic cedar trees including some cedar trees said to be 3,000 years old, and in 2004 the temple was designated a World Heritage Site under the name Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range.

Its really a beautiful shrine to feel nature, culture and history. Dont forget to hike up to Tamaishisha. If sky is clear, you can see the ocean from the shrine and the top of Mt. Tamaki.
Isonokami Jingu Shrine

4.0

123 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Nara Pref. Tenrishi Furuchou 384

A Shinto shrine located in Furu Town, Tenri City, Nara Prefecture. The head patron shrine of the Mononobe clan, it is also one of the oldest Shinto shrines in Japan. The front shrine, said to have been donated by Emperor Shirakawa in 1081, and the Nanatsu-Saya-no-Tachi (Seven-Branched Sword), believed to be made in 369 and the same mentioned in the ancient Nihon shoki, are both National Treasures.

One of the two oldest shrines in Japan, Isonokami Jingu shrine is located in the shade of a cool forest along Japan’s oldest path, the Yamanobe-no-michi path. The wide main approach leads us through...
Yoshimizu Shrine

4.5

128 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Nara Pref. Yoshinogunyoshinochou Yoshinoyama 579

This Shinto shrine is dedicated to Emperor Go-Daigo, Kusunoki Masashige, and Soshin Hoin. Prior to the official separation of Buddhism and Shintoism in the country, the shrine was served as the quarters for the priests of the Kinpusen-ji Temple. In addition to having served as a hiding place for Emperor Go-Daigo when he secretly traveled to Yoshino, the temple is also famous as the place where Minamoto no Yoshitsune, who was being pursued by Minamoto no Yoritomo, escaped safely to together with Benkei and Shizuka Gozen, among others. Also a famous location for viewing the cherry blossoms, the temple displays various articles from the time when Shogun Toyotomi Hideyoshi spent several days here enjoying the cherry blossoms. In spring, all of Mt. Yoshino blooms with some 30 thousand cherry trees consisting of 200 different varieties.

As soon as you enter the courtyard, a very beautiful view of the Yoshino valley is in front of you, which is full of white and pink flowers in Hanami season. But this shrine owes its greatest fame to...
Himuro Shrine

4.0

137 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Nara Nara-shi Kasuganocho 1-4

"A 15-minute walk from Kintetsu Nara Station and a 60-minute drive from the Kyoto-minami Interchange. This Shinto shrine is also located right next to the ""Himurojinja-Kokuritsuhakubutsukan"" bus stop. The shrine was originally dedicated to venerating Mt. Kasuga. From around 711, the shrine gifted blocks of ice created in a cold room to the imperial capital of Hejio-kyo (now Nara). After the capital was moved to Kyoto, the shrine was abolished and then later moved to its current location and revived. Even today, the shrine is still visited by persons involved in industries concerning ice, such as ice making, refrigeration, and freezing. Each year the shrine holds the Kenpyosai ice festival on May 1st, as well as the Himoruo Shirayuki Shaved Ice Festival in March. Visitors can also view beautiful weeping cherry blossoms on the grounds from late March to early April."

this is definitely a unique temple:the deity it honors is the ice god, which is why you may see little blocks of ice (lanterns) lining the front steps or the other pathways on the shrines grounds...
Sai-jinja Shrine

4.5

111 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Nara Pref. Sakuraishi Miwa Hiroi

This shrine is dedicated to the Miwa deity Araku. There is a well-known as “Sai” behind and to the left of the hall of worship that contains water offered to the deities. The water is believed to have medicinal properties and is said to heal various ailments, so many visit in order to receive relief from their illnesses.

Sai Shrine is a gateway to Mt. Miwa. If you climb this holy mountain, you have to register at this shrine. Behind the main building, there is a fountain of spiritual water. It is free and drinkable...
Yoshino Mikumari-jinja Shrine

4.0

80 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Nara Pref. Yoshinogunyoshinochou Yoshinoyama 1612

One of the Four Great Mikumari Shrines of Yamato Province which watch over the Nara Basin from the east, west, north, and south, this Shinto shrine worships the goddess Ameno-Mikumari, who governs water. In the Shoku Nihongi, it is recorded that prayers were made for rain at this shrine during the reign of Emperor Monmu. In the mid-Heian period, what is now pronounced “Mikumari” was pronounced “Mikomori,” which sounds like “Child Protector” in Japanese; because of this, the shrine continues to be visited to this day by numerous worshipers seeking to be blessed with children. The main shrine building was rebuilt in 1605 by Toyotomi Hideyori, successor to his father the great general Toyotomi Hideyoshi. This beautiful building strongly retains the distinctive characteristics of Momoyama period architecture. The main shrine building is also a designated Important Cultural Property.

Even by Japanese standards, this shrine is wonderfully atmospheric. I stopped by to rest on the long hike down from the summit, and sat alone, entranced, by the quiet charm. Worth a journey.
Yoshino-Jingu Shrine

4.0

39 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Nara Pref. Yoshinogunyoshinochou Yoshinoyama 3226

Yoshino-Jingu Shrine is a Shinto shrine located near Yoshino-Jingu Station on the Kintetsu Railway Yoshino Line. It was constructed in 1889 on the orders of the Meiji Emperor; the main deity enshrined here is Emperor Go-Daigo. The recently-constructed Honden (Main Hall) and Haiden (Hall of Worship) are oriented in a north-facing direction, towards the city of Kyoto, and built in the Sohinoki-zukuri style (a modern style of shrine construction, which uses only Japanese cypress wood); the Shrine precincts are renowned as a marvelous place for viewing cherry blossom in spring. The Autumn Festival which is held at the Yoshino-Jingu Shrine on September 27 every year includes a performance of the Urayasu-no-mai Dance dedicated to the gods, as well as dances accompanied by traditional folk songs, the reciting of poems for the entertainment of the gods, etc., making this a wonderful opportunity to experience aspects of traditional Japanese culture.

明治22年に明治天皇により建てられた、近代建築の神社で後醍醐天皇が祀られています。広く整然とした境内が印象的でした。北向きに建てられているのは、如意輪寺の塔尾陵と同様、後醍醐天皇の京への想いを偲んだものとのことです。
Niukawakami Jinja Shimosha Shrine

4.5

21 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Nara Pref. Yoshinogunshimoichichou Nagatani 1-1

This shrine is said to be the origin of Ema. Originally, worshipers would offer a black horse to pray for rain or a white horse to pray for clear weather. This would eventually morph into pictures of horses on wooden plaques. The shrine is said to be Japan's oldest shrine to a water god. It is notable for its 75-step covered stairs, a rarity in Shinto shrine architecture, which were built to reach the heavens. It is also said to be a good place to pray for success in marriage.

日本最古の、水神オカミノカミを祀る古社です。この社に白馬を献じたことが絵馬の始まりとのことでした。こちらの木造の階としては日本一のものであり、昔の方が雨という天からのものに対する祈りを形にしたようにも感じました。
Tamukeyama Hachimangu Shrine

3.5

65 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Nara Pref. Narashi Zoushichou 434

This is a shrine in Nara City. It is located in Tamukeyama which is famous as a beauty spot for its autumnal leaves, and it is built to the north of Tōdai-ji’s Hokke-do Hall (also called “Sangastu-do Hall”). Its origins lie in the summoning and enshrinement secured from Kyoto’s Usa Hachimangu Shrine which were the deities summoned to protect Tōdai-ji on the occasion of Tōdai-ji and the Great Buddha being built. The ancient log house structure of the treasure house was relocated from the master’s warehouse from Tōdai-ji’s oil storehouse in the Nara period, and it is designated as an Important Cultural Property. Also housed on the grounds of the temple are such a National Treasure as a “Chinese-style ritual saddle” and an Important Cultural Property like a “21 wooden bugaku theatre mask”.

A small, attractive shrine. I purchased my first goshuincho there, and the lady wrote something lovely that I cant yet read (my Japanese is limited!) in my book, so I was very pleased.
Tenkawa Daibenzaiten-sha Shrine

Travel / Tourism

Nara Pref. Yoshinoguntenkawamura Tsubonouchi 107

Tenkawa Daibenzaiten-sha Shrine (Tenkawa-jinja) is a shrine dedicated to Benzaiten (Sarasvati), the deity of art and music. It is considered one of the Three Great Shrines of Benzaiten. The shrine is famous for attracting many entertainers to its doors. It also has a history of being the place where the Buddhist monk, Kobo Daishi, retreated to for a thousand days. The solemn atmosphere found here in the mountains cleanses the heart and in recent years it has become popular as a power spot. There is also a large collection of valuable artifacts related to Noh, and Noh performances are held at the shrine three times a year.
Kashihara Jingu Shrine

Travel / Tourism

Nara Pref. Kashiharashi Kumechou 934

This shrine is dedicated to Emperor Jimmu and his wife. The shrine was erected by Emperor Meiji in 1890 based on the Nihon Shoki, one of Japan’s oldest history books, which records that the Emperor Jimmu was enthroned at the site. Located at the foot of Mt. Unebi, the hinoki bark thatched, bare-wood main shrine and kagura hall harmonize perfectly with the thick and verdant forest which surround the shrine’s gravel path. The main shrine was a sanctuary in the Kyoto Imperial Palace that was moved here.
Oyamato-jinja Shrine

4.0

29 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Nara Pref. Tenrishi Nizumichou 306

This extremely old shrine had acquired a plot of land second only to Ise Jingu Shrine by the early Heian Period. It enshrines the Shinto deities Yamato no Okuni-mitama, Yachihoko no Okami, and Otoshi no Kami. It was also the guardian shrine of the Battleship Yamato. Because they shared the same name, part of the shrine's tutelary deities was enshrined in the ship through a Shinto ritual known as Bunrei. In 2018, the shrine's Chan-chan Festival was designated as a Prefectural Intangible Folk Cultural Property.

This is a shrine with roots that reach back to the early days of the Yamato Nation, making it pretty much on par with other ancient shrines like Omiwa Jinja shrine and Isonokami Jingu shrine...
Takakamo-jinja Shrine

4.0

19 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Nara Pref. Goseshi Kamogami 1110

This is a shrine in Kamogami, Gose City. This is the grand main shrine of all the Kamosha Shrines nationwide, and one of the oldest shrines in Japan. The main shrine was rebuilt in the Muromachi period in a Sangensya nagare-zukuri architectural style, is designated as an Important Cultural Property. There are also engravings of Kaikei's inscriptions on the guardian dogs in front of the main shrine. The precinct is home to west and east auxiliary shrines, and many other smaller shrines in the precinct as well.

パワースポットなので、そう思ったためかそのようなものを感じました。なぜか楠木正成公銅像がありました。大阪付近の出身地だと思ったのですが、どうも楠木正成公は、こちらに度々武運長久の為に訪れたとのことのようです。
Niukawakami Jinja Kamisha Shrine

4.0

9 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Nara Pref. Yoshinogunkawakamimura Sako 869-1

This shrine enshrines Takaokami-no-Okami, a Shinto dragon god said to control water and rain. It is famous for the more than 10 sekibo (stone phallic rods) of about 30 cm in length, thought to have been part of a ritual site from the Jomon period (circa 2000 BC), that were excavated at the shrine. The shrine is known to have been a key ritual site from the second half of the Nara period to the first half of the Heian period, making it a highly historically valuable shrine.

駐車場も便利なところにあり、あまり歩かずに参拝できました。比較的新しい天空の神社という感じでした。ダム建設のため小高いところに移転したとのことでした。ここから見る風景は思ったよりすごくて秘境感がありました。
Niu-Kawakami Jinja Shrine (Middle Shrine)

4.0

7 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Nara Yoshino-gun Higashi-yoshinomura Omura 968

A shrine along the Omata-Ogawa Line road in Higashi-yoshino Village, Yoshino County. The principal enshrined deity is Mizuhanome-no-kami, a goddess of irrigation and rain. On the grounds is the thousand-year-old Kanae no Osugi cedar tree as well as the twin Aioi no Sugi cedar tree which embodies the virtue of happy marriage.

各神社への所要時間は下社－中社が45分、上社-中社も45分程度でした。下社-中社ですと70分から80分かかるのではないでしょうか？。これだけ離れた関連神社を巡るの初めてでした。どれも秘境感あふれる場所にあるので、ドライブがてら巡るのがよろしいのではと思います。
Asukani-imasu Shrine

4.0

27 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Nara Pref. Takaichigunasukamura Asuka 708

The age of this shrine makes visitors feel the weight of the eternity. It was relocated to its present location after receiving divine advice in the year 829. There are many Yin-Yang stones placed within the shrine, and the resident kami is believed to aid fertility. Every year, on the first Sunday in February, the famous Onda Festival is held here.

飛鳥寺の少し東、小高い丘の上にある由緒のある神社。日本書紀や万葉集にも記載があるそうだが、創建については定かではないという。家内安全、商売繁盛から安産や縁結びのご利益もあるらしい。

Nara

Nara City Ikaruga / Yamatokoriyama Asuka Kashihara Yamanobe Road / Sakurai Yoshino Tenkawa Village / Totsukawa Village Ikoma

Travel / Tourism History / Culture / Tour Shrine Shrine

Nara Areas

With a reputation almost as stellar as that of Kyoto, Nara is a must-visit for those searching for the remains of "traditional Japan." The largely green Nara city holds the majority of the prefecture’s treasures, such as the iconic Todai-ji Temple, in which a 15-meter tall Great Buddha sits, and Nara Park, where deer flock to befriend passersby. While mountains are by no means hard to come by in this area, for hiking with a reward, head to the Kii Mountains’ Yoshino district in spring, when the hillsides put on an impressive display of white and pink cherry blossoms.