Shrines in Japan

A displaced shrine that was put back after a string of bad luck.

This “forbidden” sanctuary has managed to preserve a unique, ancient ecosystem.

A century-old house transformed into a cat temple by an artist.

The long-lost tomb of an ancient Japanese emperor, complete with a miniature terracotta army.

This ancient, tranquil shrine is the birthplace of ema prayer boards and the Ushi-no-toki-mairi curse ritual.

According to local legend, anyone who falls on these temple steps will turn into a cat.

According to folklore, this grave lies near the site of the “standing death” of one of Japan’s fiercest warriors.

A 1000-year-old shrine in Kyoto with a poorly planned sacred arch.

Reaching Japan’s “most dangerous shrine” means climbing a vertical cliff.

Students pray here in hopes of entering one of Japan’s most prestigious universities.

You can receive a blessing for your electronics at this Shinto shrine near Akihabara.

Thousands of foxes are said to gather and parade across the neighborhood of Ōji on New Year’s Eve.

A rare north-facing Ksitigarbha statue enshrined in a passageway off Osaka’s busiest area.

Up on the iconic Tsutenkaku Tower sits an American mascot that became Osaka’s own lucky god.

A mountain demon once helped a local villager construct a canal, after which he sat on this oak tree to rest.

A mystical shrine dedicated to a forest that once covered the area and the legendary fox spirit who lived there.