Shrines & TemplesThings to do

Hieizan Enryaku-ji Temple

Hieizan Enryaku-ji Temple is a place to pray for world peace. It is also a place of learning an[...]

Ishiyama-dera Temple

Ishiyama-dera Temple is the 13th of 33 sacred temples on the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage. It is f[...]

Takebe Taisha Shrine

Takebe Taisha Shrine, Old Omi Province’s Head Shinto ShrineThis shrine was once revered as the [...]

Iwama-dera Temple (Iwamaseiho-dera Temple)

The beginnings of this temple are said to trace back to the Nara Period (710-794), when the Bud[...]

Tachiki Kannon (Tachikizan Anyo-ji Temple)

It is on the Seta River, the only river that flows to Kyoto and Osaka from Lake Biwa; on the ba[...]

Onjo-ji Temple (Mii-dera Temple)

Onjo-ji Temple is the head temple of the Tendaijimon sect of Buddhism, with its “Mii Evening Be[...]

Omi Jingu Shrine

Emperor Tenji, the founder of Otsu-Kyo, is enshrined as a deity here at Omi Jingu Shrine.The sh[...]

Gichu-ji Temple

This temple is the site of the grave of the samurai Minamoto no Yoshinaka, who died heroically [...]

Tenson Shrine

Tenson Shrine is also sometimes known as Shinomiya Shrine (“Shrine of the Fourth”) because the [...]

Sekisemimaru Shrine

It is thought that Sekisemimaru Shrine was built to honor both the local Shinto god and the god[...]

Nagara Shrine

Nagara Shrine’s beginnings can be traced back to Emperor Tenji, who enshrined the ancient Shint[...]

Ukimido (Mangetsu-ji Temple)

During the Heian Period, Genshin (Eshin Sozu) built a temple on top of Lake Biwa for the safety[...]

Saikyo-ji Temple

Saikyo-ji Temple was built by Prince Shotoku and restored by Master Shinsei. It is also the hea[...]

Hiyoshi Taisha Shrine

Hiyoshi Taisha Shrine is the main shrine of the Sanno Festival and has more than 3,800 branch s[...]

Hiyoshi Toshogu Shrine

This temple was built by the Buddhist priest Tenkai after the death of shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu i[...]

Shiga-in Monseki Temple

It is said that this temple is the relocated Hosho-ji Temple, which was moved from Kitahaku-gaw[...]

Karasaki Shrine

Karasaki Shrine is one of Hiyoshi Taisha Shrine’s auxilary shrines. It is an ancient shrine sai[...]

Ono Shrine

Ono Shrine is located in silence amidst a thick forest.The deity enshrined at the shrine is Tag[...]