What’s the Difference Between a Shrine and a Temple in Japan?

It might surprise you to hear that these are not the same thing. Here’s the main difference between a shrine and a temple in Japan – and how to tell which you might be visiting.

Article by Helen Foster. Disclosure: Some links in this post are affiliate links. See our Affiliate Disclosure.

I always have an issue when I’m writing posts for this site that mention religious sites of interest. I always have to check whether the place in question is a temple or a shrine, more than once!

After doing it about 25 times in my guide to quiet places in Kyoto (as I still kept typing both in a paragraph), I decided it was time to write a guide – for me as much as you!

So, here’s what you need to know…

Disclaimer: Apologies to any religious scholars reading this. I am attempting to keep it as simple as possible; I may blur a few details or miss some semantics while doing so. Please do let me know if anything is completely inaccurate, though.

What’s the Main Difference Between Shrines and Temples?

It’s very simple – they belong to separate religions.

Shrines celebrate Shinto while temples honour the Buddhist faith.

These two religions have coexisted in Japan for centuries.

A Very Quick Guide to Shinto Shrines

Shinto is Japan’s original religion. While there are different sects within this, it generally worships kami, spirits or divine powers believed to inhabit all things – for example, mountains, waterfalls, ancestors, or even local spirits unique to a particular place. Shrines are the formal homes of these kami.

Unlike some other religions, kami do not dictate right and wrong but instead bestow blessings on those who worship them.

Certain shrines gain a reputation for offering different types of blessings, for example, safe childbirth, academic success, business prosperity, traffic safety, or warding off misfortune.

A Very Quick Guide to Buddhist Temples

Buddhism arrived in Japan from the Asian continent in the 6th century. Buddhist teachings revolve around the path to enlightenment, overcoming suffering, and the cycle of rebirth.

Temples are where you’ll find statues of Buddha.

One of the most impressive in all of Japan is this huge reclining Buddha at Nanzoin Temple near Fukuoka. Despite its size, it’s actually well hidden and walking into the square that houses it took my breath away.

Five Easy Ways to Tell the Difference Between Shrines and Temples

While there are many subtle differences between the two, and a couple of exceptions to the rules, these five more obvious points can usually help you work out if you are visiting a shrine or a temple.

1. The Name

One of the easiest ways to distinguish between them is by the name itself.

Shrines

Shrines commonly end with one of the following suffixes. The ending used reflects the size or importance of the shrine or the main deity worshipped.

• Jinja
• Taisha
• Jingu
• Hachimangu
• Inari
• Myojin
• Gu

Temples

Temples commonly end with one of the following. Again, these reflect size and importance and whether it’s a main temple or a sub-temple

• Tera or Dera – like Kiyomizu-dera above
• Ji
• In
• An

If you see “jinja” or “shrine,” you’re in Shinto territory. If you see “tera,” “dera,” or “ji,” you’re visiting a Buddhist site.

2. Do You See a Torii Gate?

The iconic red, wooden or stone torii gate is the most recognisable symbol of Shinto. It marks the transition from the secular world to sacred space.

Shrines nearly always have at least one torii, and large or famous shrines may have several.

If you do encounter a torii, don’t walk through the middle of it. This is the route reserved for the gods – instead, walk to the left or right. It’s also customary for Japanese people to bow before entering the torii gate.

Buddhist temples, on the other hand, do not usually have torii gates – although there are a few exceptions from when Buddhism and Shintoism coexisted in Japan.

3. Or Is There a Wooden Gate

Instead of torii gates, Buddhist temples typically have large wooden gates known as sanmon.

Some temples also have niomon gates, which feature guardian statues called nio – fierce-looking deities who protect the temple from evil.

If you see large wooden gates with scary or muscular-looking guardian statues, you’re almost certainly at a Buddhist temple.

Guardians or not, try not to step on the wooden part of the gate on the floor as you enter. Admittedly, this might not be possible at Nara’s Todaiji temple as it’s immense. You can walk around the side if you need to.

4. What Else Do You See?

The type of statue around you, or other features of the building, can also help you determine if this is a shrine or a temple.

Temples

Remember, if you see a statue of Buddha, you are in a temple, but temples also house Bodhisattvas. These are (by a loose definition) statues of those who are striving for enlightenment, and they are also worshipped in the Buddhist faith.

If you also see lots of carved statues, sometimes with different faces, this is also likely a Buddhist temple.

In Japan, these statues may be referred to as arhats, or rakan, and they represent those who have achieved a high level of spiritual enlightenment. Daisho-in temple in Miyajima (above), Choan-ji in Hakone and Otagi Nenbutsu-Ji in Kyoto both have fantastic collections of these. Arhats/Rakan are not worshipped, but they are respected.

If you see an incense burner, you are also more likely to be in a temple – people will waft the smoke of these towards parts of their body they hope to heal. Senso-ji in Tokyo is a good example of this.

Shrines

If you see a thick rope, sometimes with what looks like paper lightning bolts hanging from it, you’re in a shrine. These are shimenawa, and they are used to ward off evil spirits and protect areas where the kami inhabit. You might see them tied around trees.

Hakone Shrine has a good example of this; the tree is claimed to help with fertility and childbirth. The one pictured below is from Shirakawago.

If you see foxes, you are more likely to be a shrine – specifically, an inari shrine – you’ll see a lot of foxes at Fushimi Inari Taisha in Kyoto and particularly at Toyokawa Inari, also known as the Fox Shrine in Tokyo. These are one of the guardians of a shrine.

Another type of guardian found at shrines is lion dogs.

5. Rituals: How People Pray

Visiting etiquette differs between shrines and temples, and observing other visitors can give a clue to which type of site you’re visiting.

Shrines

Visitors first purify themselves at a water trough, called a temizuya, by rinsing their hands and mouth.

Prayer usually involves throwing a coin, ringing a bell, bowing twice, clapping twice, praying silently, and finishing with a single bow.

If you hear clapping, you are at a Shinto shrine.

Temples

Visitors may also cleanse themselves, but the temizuya may just have a simple design.

The typical Buddhist prayer involves offering incense, joining hands, and silently bowing.

No clapping occurs at temples.

14 Shrines and Temples You Might Visit in Japan

With over 2,000 shrines and temples located in Kyoto alone, chances are you will visit at least one shrine or temple during your Japan trip. Here are 14 of the most popular for tourists…

Popular Shrines

Fushimi Inari Taisha – Kyoto

Meiji Jingu- Tokyo

Itsukushima jinja – Miyajima

Kasuga Taisha – Nara

Nikko Tosho gu – Nikko

Hakone Jinja – Hakone

Popular Temples

Kiyomizu-dera – Kyoto

Senso-ji – Tokyo

Todai-ji – Nara

Kinkaku-ji – Kyoto

Zenko-ji – Nagano

Byodo-in – Uji

Kotoku-in – Kamakura

Nanzoin – Fukuoka

And that’s it – the basic guide to the difference between shrines and temples in Japan. There is a lot more that can be said, but this covers the basics, so you at least now have a better idea of where you might be visiting.

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