What is the difference between a tera and a jinja?

A tera is a Buddhist temple, while a jinja is a Shinto shrine dedicated to kami. You enter a tera through a roofed gate called a sanmon, whereas a jinja is marked by a torii, and only a tera keeps Buddhist statues and often a graveyard.

How do you pray at a Buddhist temple in Japan?

At a Buddhist temple you offer a small coin, press your palms together quietly, and bow, without clapping your hands. Clapping is a Shinto custom reserved for shrines rather than temples.

Why do many temple names end in dera or ji?

Many temple names end in dera or ji because both are readings of the character 寺, which means Buddhist temple. Kiyomizu-dera and Senso-ji are two well known examples.

Tera (Otera)

General

寺・ Reading: てら

Definition

A tera is a Buddhist temple, a place of worship and practice for Buddhism in Japan. It is usually entered through a sanmon gate and centres on a main hall (hondo) housing the principal Buddhist image.

What a tera is

A tera is a Buddhist temple, a place where Buddhism is practised and taught in Japan. Buddhism reached Japan from the Asian mainland in the sixth century, and temples have served as centres of worship, learning, and community life ever since. A temple's name often ends in the character 寺, read either as "ji" or as "tera", as in Kiyomizu-dera and Senso-ji.

What to look for

You usually enter through a large gate called a sanmon. Inside stands the main hall, the hondo, which houses the honzon, the principal image of a Buddha or bodhisattva. Many temples also have a pagoda, an incense burner whose smoke you can waft towards yourself, and a bell. Statues of guardian figures often flank the gate.

How it differs from a shrine

A tera is Buddhist, while a jinja is a Shinto shrine dedicated to kami. The clearest sign is the gateway. A shrine is marked by a torii, whereas a temple is entered through a roofed sanmon gate. Temples also keep Buddhist statues and often a graveyard, which shrines generally do not. At a temple you press your palms together quietly rather than clapping, which is a Shinto custom.

Common questions

What is the difference between a tera and a jinja?: A tera is a Buddhist temple, while a jinja is a Shinto shrine dedicated to kami. You enter a tera through a roofed gate called a sanmon, whereas a jinja is marked by a torii, and only a tera keeps Buddhist statues and often a graveyard.
How do you pray at a Buddhist temple in Japan?: At a Buddhist temple you offer a small coin, press your palms together quietly, and bow, without clapping your hands. Clapping is a Shinto custom reserved for shrines rather than temples.
Why do many temple names end in dera or ji?: Many temple names end in dera or ji because both are readings of the character 寺, which means Buddhist temple. Kiyomizu-dera and Senso-ji are two well known examples.