30 temples and shrines in Japan: fees, hours and how to choose

Each regional guide covers its sites in depth; the short version follows.

Tokyo, Kamakura and Nikko. Tokyo’s two anchors are Senso-ji, whose main hall opens at 06:00 (06:30 from October to March), and Meiji Jingu, which is free and open from sunrise to sunset: 06:40 to 16:00 in December and 06:40 to 16:20 in January. Kamakura’s three listed temples cost $2 to $3 (¥300 to ¥500) each. Nikko charges by building: Toshogu is $10 (¥1,600) for the shrine only, last known, and Rinnoji’s three-site set is $6 (¥1,000), sold at the window or as an e-ticket only. Nikko hours drop from 17:00 to 16:00 in November. See Tokyo, Kamakura and Nikko.

Kyoto. Kyoto holds seven of the 30 sites, and To-ji is the one with a full 2026 price list: hall tickets are $5 (¥800), and its autumn specials add the Treasure Hall and pagoda, with combined tickets at $10 (¥1,500) from 20 September to 30 October and $13 (¥2,000) from 31 October to 25 November. Kinkaku-ji’s page names a “visit offering” with no amount, and Sanjusangen-do’s fee comes through a search summary. Kiyomizu-dera opens at 06:00. Sanjusangen-do was free all day on 18 January 2026. Ginkaku-ji opens its Togudo, Hojo and Roseitei only during spring and autumn special openings. Fushimi Inari’s rules ban drones and commercial photography. See Kyoto temples and shrines.

Nara, Osaka, Koyasan and Ise. Todai-ji’s hall costs $5 (¥800), and its Shigatsudo hall, closed for earthquake-resistance work since 7 May 2025, reopens on 17 January 2027. Kasuga Taisha’s main-sanctuary visit is closed from 20 December to 7 January. Horyu-ji costs $13 (¥2,000), cash only, and the ticket covers three precincts. Kasuga’s Man’yo Botanical Garden costs $5 (¥700) and is closed on Tuesdays from June to March. Sumiyoshi Taisha in Osaka has no regular closing days. Koyasan is the overnight stop: Okunoin’s Torodo hall extends its hours on 1 January and on lantern evenings, and the Mandoe-e lantern ceremony runs 1 to 3 October every year. Ise Jingu’s page advises visiting Geku before Naiku. Atsuta Jingu in Nagoya appears through its treasure hall, $3 (¥500) and last known. See Nara, Osaka, Koyasan and Ise.

Western Japan. Itsukushima costs $2 (¥300), or $3 (¥500) with its Treasure Hall; its hours shorten to 17:30 from 15 October and to 17:00 in December. The O-torii is lit until 23:00, but there is no entry after dark. Izumo Taisha is the shrine of Okuninushi and of en-musubi, bonds between people. Kotohira-gu has 785 steps to Gohonmiya and 1,368 to Okusha, and a prayer there costs $32 (¥5,000). Kotohira-gu’s Omote Shoin is closed on Tuesdays, and its procession to Gohonmiya at the cherry and autumn festivals has been discontinued. Dazaifu Tenmangu draws more than 10 million visitors a year and holds its exam-prayer festival from 1 to 31 October, with the main day on 18 October. See Itsukushima, Izumo, Kotohira and Dazaifu.

North and central Japan. Zenkoji in Nagano holds its morning service, O-Asaji, daily at sunrise, and priests touch visitors’ heads with prayer beads four times each morning; anyone may receive it. Chusonji is open all year, and its standard ticket, $6 (¥1,000) and last known, covers the Konjikido gold hall. Yamadera stays open from December to March with shorter hours, and its climb of 1,015 stone steps takes about 1 hour 30 minutes round trip in ordinary clothes and shoes. Zuiganji raised its fee on 1 April 2026. See Tohoku and Nagano.

You can walk in at most of the 30 sites. Booking applies to lodging, prayer services and special openings.

• Temple stays: book Koyasan lodging through the Koyasan Shukubo Association’s site or by phone.
• Prayer services: Kotohira-gu takes prayer bookings online, and Okusha prayer is by reservation only. Sumiyoshi Taisha takes prayer at its reception. Dazaifu Tenmangu changed its prayer rules on 17 May 2026, and the details are not shown.
• Special openings: To-ji’s Treasure Hall opens only 20 March to 25 May and 20 September to 25 November.
• Tickets: Rinnoji’s three-site set is sold at the window or as an e-ticket only, and Zuiganji takes no general reservation.
• Cars: Kotohira-gu has no walk-in parking, and car visits can be reserved online.

Follow the posted sign first, then the shrine and temple basics below. For the full walk from gate to stamp desk, read Temple and shrine etiquette.

At a shrine, toss a coin in the offering box, bow twice deeply, clap twice, pray silently and bow once, per Jinja Honcho, the shrine association. It says there is no fixed offering amount, that photos of buildings and grounds are usually allowed but vary, and that you should not photograph people without permission. Dress has no strict code, and modest is recommended. At a temple, pray quietly and do not clap, per Aichi Prefecture’s visitor guide; no national official page on temple manners was found.

Some sites set their own rules:

• Fushimi Inari: no drones, commercial photography, photos on narrow paths that block worshippers, shouting or sitting on the ground, eating outside rest areas, litter or wedding dress.
• Kiyomizu-dera: no drones, tripods, monopods, weddings, cosplay or model shoots. Commercial filming and live streaming need permission.
• Kinkaku-ji: personal snapshots are allowed. Publishing photos, including on social media, group photos, streaming and drones are prohibited.
• Kotoku-in: personal photos are free, commercial use needs permission, and drones and selfie sticks inside the statue are banned.
• Todai-ji and Kasuga Taisha: smoking and drones are banned at Todai-ji, and pets, small drones and smoking at Kasuga.
• Ise Jingu: purify at the water basin, take no photos at the praying area, and do not eat, drink or smoke outside designated areas.
• Yamadera: drones are banned over the precincts and trails.

Kyoto sets litter fines of up to $195 (¥30,000) in its beautification areas.

A goshuin is a stamp with brushed calligraphy, kept in a dedicated book as a record of a visit. Pray first, then go to the stamp desk. An embassy magazine gives a general range of $2 to $3 (¥300 to ¥500), and Todai-ji is the only site with an official fee: $2 (¥300) per goshuin.

Todai-ji issues them at the Daibutsuden during its hall hours and at Hokkedo and Kaidando from 08:30 to 16:00. Shigatsudo and Senjudo are not issuing. Its own books cost $16 (¥2,500) for the purple design, $13 (¥2,000) for the large floral and $10 (¥1,500) for the small floral. Ginkaku-ji writes in your book until 16:00, then hands out a pre-written sheet (kakioki), or sheets all day in busy periods. Kasuga Taisha issues goshuin from 09:00 until the gate closes, and Kinkaku-ji’s office is stop 19 on its route; neither states a fee. See Goshuin.

Koyasan is the one place on this list built around an overnight temple stay, called shukubo. The Koyasan Shukubo Association runs the booking site and a phone line. One temple’s example, Fugen-in’s two-meal plan, costs $90 to $140 (¥14,000 to ¥22,000) per adult with tax, excluding bath tax, and the lowest prices vary by date. Meals are vegetarian, the gate closes at 21:00, and the shared bath runs 16:00 to 22:00. Morning prayer is standard at 06:30, with photos allowed without flash at Fugen-in.

Other temples differ: Kodai-in charges children 70% or 80% of the adult rate and sets bath slots by gender. Treat both as examples, not association rules.

Before you book Check the check-in cut-off for each temple. At Fugen-in, arriving after 18:00 means no dinner and no refund, and cancelling costs 30% four days ahead, 50% two days ahead and 100% the day before.

On the mountain, wear modest clothes: no revealing tops, short skirts or shorts, and cover your shoulders, or you may be refused at Okunoin. Take your hat off at gates, bow with palms together, and purify at the water basin. Yukata are for indoors only. See Koyasan temple stay.

Start from the Culture hub and the wider culture guide. Read Temple and shrine etiquette before your first visit and Koyasan temple stay before you book a lodging. For late December and early January, see Hatsumode and New Year and New Year closures.