Japanese Temple & Shrine Glossary

A hall dedicated to Amida Nyorai, the Buddha of the Western Pure Land.

The graveyard within a temple's precinct, where parishioners' family graves are tended and memorial rites are held.

A bonsho is the large bronze bell of a Buddhist temple, struck from the outside with a wooden beam.

A hall dedicated to Kobo Daishi (Kukai).

An ema is a small wooden plaque on which visitors write wishes or prayers and hang at a shrine or temple.

A five-storied pagoda whose stacked roofs shelter sacred relics at the temple's symbolic heart.

A hall dedicated to Fudo Myoo, the wrathful protector who cuts through delusion with his sword and flames.

A goshuin is a hand-brushed seal stamp given at Japanese temples and shrines as proof of a visit, combining red ink stamps with calligraphy.

A goshuincho is the dedicated book in which goshuin seal stamps are collected, with accordion-fold pages.

The guji is the head priest of a Shinto shrine, the most senior member of its clergy.

The haiden is the hall of worship of a Shinto shrine, placed in front of the honden, where visitors offer prayers.

A treasure hall where a temple or shrine keeps and sometimes displays its most valuable objects — statues, paintings, ritual implements, and documents.

The honden is the main sanctuary of a Shinto shrine, the most sacred building where the kami is enshrined.

The hondo is the main hall of a Buddhist temple, housing the principal object of worship (the honzon).

The honzon is the principal object of worship enshrined in a Buddhist temple, usually a statue or image of a specific Buddha or bodhisattva.

A jinja is a Shinto shrine, a place dedicated to the worship of kami (Shinto deities).

A hall enshrining Jizo Bosatsu, the compassionate guardian of travelers, children, and the souls of the departed.

Jodo, or Pure Land Buddhism, is a school founded by Honen that teaches rebirth in Amida Buddhas Pure Land through chanting the nembutsu.

A hall dedicated to Kannon, the bodhisattva of compassion (Avalokiteshvara).

A kannushi is a Shinto priest responsible for performing rituals and maintaining a shrine.

A ceremonial gate crowned by an undulating karahafu gable, often lavishly carved and reserved for honored guests or imperial use.

The consecrated grounds of a temple or shrine, taking in its halls, gates, pagodas, and gardens.

A lecture hall where monks study scriptures and larger ceremonies are held.

Komainu are the pair of lion-dog guardian statues placed at the entrance of a Shinto shrine to ward off evil.

The kitchen and living quarters of a temple, where the resident priest and family live and meals are prepared.

A sutra repository that stores Buddhist scriptures.

A miko is a shrine maiden who assists with Shinto rituals and ceremonial dances at a shrine.

The gate marking the threshold between the everyday world and the sacred grounds of a temple or shrine.

Nichiren is a school of Japanese Buddhism founded by the monk Nichiren in the 13th century, centred on devotion to the Lotus Sutra through the chant Namu Myoho Renge Kyo.

A temple gate flanked by a pair of muscular Nio guardians (Kongorikishi) who repel evil from the sacred precinct.

An omamori is a protective amulet sold at Japanese shrines and temples, usually a small brocade pouch containing a blessing for a specific purpose such as health, study, or safe travel.

Omikuji are paper fortune slips drawn at random at shrines and temples, predicting your luck from great blessing (daikichi) to bad luck (kyo).

Osaisen is the monetary offering visitors make at a shrine or temple, dropped into the offering box before praying.

A pagoda is a tiered tower at a Buddhist temple, traditionally built to enshrine sacred relics.

A two-storied gate with a railed balcony on the upper level.

The saisenbako is the wooden offering box placed before the worship hall at shrines and temples, into which visitors toss a monetary offering before praying.

The sando is the approach path leading to a shrine or temple, often lined with stone lanterns, trees, or shops.

The sanmon is the main gate of a Buddhist temple, marking the entrance to the sacred precinct.

Sanpai is the act of visiting a shrine or temple to pray.

A shimenawa is a sacred rope of twisted rice straw used to mark off a sacred space at Shinto shrines.

Shingon is a major school of esoteric Japanese Buddhism founded by Kukai (Kobo Daishi) in the early 9th century.

The shoro is the bell tower of a Buddhist temple, housing the large temple bell (bonsho).

A distinctive two-storied pagoda with a square lower level, a rounded white core, and a square roof above.

A sub-temple within the precincts of a larger temple, often founded to honour a senior monk.

A designed temple or shrine garden for contemplation, arranging stone, water, and plants to evoke a landscape in miniature.

Temizu is the purification ritual of washing the hands and rinsing the mouth at the temizuya before praying.

The temizuya is a water pavilion near the entrance of a shrine or temple where visitors purify their hands and mouth before praying.

Tendai is a school of Japanese Buddhism founded by Saicho in the early 9th century, centred on Mount Hiei.

A tera is a Buddhist temple, a place of worship and practice for Buddhism in Japan.

A three-storied pagoda, a compact tiered tower enshrining relics or a sacred image.

A torii is the gateway at the entrance to a Shinto shrine, marking the boundary between the everyday world and the sacred grounds.

A hall dedicated to Yakushi Nyorai, the Medicine Buddha, who is prayed to for healing and good health.

Zen is a tradition of Japanese Buddhism that emphasises seated meditation (zazen) as the direct path to awakening.