10 Best Goshuin in Tokyo: Temples and Shrines

Tokyo's oldest temple with Kannon goshuin

Sensōji is Tokyo’s oldest and most famous Buddhist temple, dedicated to Kannon, the bodhisattva of compassion. Located in Asakusa, it is known for Kaminarimon Gate, Nakamise shopping street, a fivestory pagoda, and millions of annual visitors.

A forest shrine with restrained, bold calligraphy

Meiji Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Shibuya, Tokyo, that is dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shōken. The shrine does not contain the emperor's grave, which is located at Fushimimomoyama, south of Kyoto.

Known for maneki-neko figures and a distinctive temple seal

Famous Buddhist temple in Setagaya known as the birthplace of the manekineko (beckoning cat). The temple grounds feature hundreds of white cat figurines offered by visitors seeking good fortune, creating a unique and photogenic atmosphere.

Monthly floral goshuin with designs that change through the year

Sakurajingu in Shimmachi, Setagaya Ward, is the main shrine of Kyōha Shintō and Shinshūkyō. It traces back to a line founded in 1880 by Yoshimura Masamochi and gained official status as an independent denomination in Meiji 15. It preserves rare rites like firewalking and kettlebell ringing.

Regular goshuin and event-limited designs beside Senso-ji

Asakusa Shrine, or Sanjasama, is a Shinto shrine in Asakusa, Tokyo. Built in 1649 by shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu, it honors the founders of Sensōji Temple: the Hinokuma brothers and village headman Haji no Matsuchi. Surviving the 1945 Tokyo air raids, it is an Important Cultural Property and hosts

A central hilltop shrine with a vermilion torii approach

Hie Shrine (Hiejinja) is a major Shinto shrine in Tokyo’s Nagatachō district, dedicated to the mountain deity Oyamakui no Kami. Founded in 1478 by Ōta Dōkan, it was moved outside Edo Castle by Tokugawa Ieyasu and relocated to its current hilltop site in 1659. Known for its vermilion Sannō torii

One of the Tokyo Five Shrines, with a close connection to Ise Jingu

Tokyo Daijingu, founded in 1880 in Chiyoda, Tokyo, enshrines Amaterasu and Toyouke no Omikami, the same deities as Ise Jingu, earning it the nickname "Tokyo's Isesama." It pioneered Shinto wedding ceremonies in 1900 and ranks among Tokyo's top five shrines.

A Tokugawa family temple beside Tokyo Tower

Historic Jodo Buddhist temple founded in 1393, serving as the Tokugawa family temple. Features impressive Sangedatsumon Gate and offers stunning views of Tokyo Tower. Houses mausoleums of six Tokugawa shoguns and displays rich Edo period heritage.

Edo-period architecture, an azalea garden, and a vermilion torii path

Historic Shinto shrine in Tokyo's Bunkyo ward, renowned for its stunning azalea garden with over 3,000 bushes that bloom spectacularly each spring. Features a rare intact Edoperiod architectural complex and a famous tunnel of vermillion torii gates.

A historic shrine connecting old Tokyo with the modern tech district

Kanda Myojin is a historic Shinto shrine in Chiyoda, Tokyo, founded in 730 AD. Dedicated to Daikokuten, Ebisu, and Taira no Masakado, it was a revered site during the Edo period. Near Akihabara, it is now a mecca for tech enthusiasts who seek blessings for electronic devices.