7 Modern Shrines and Temples Worth Visiting in Japan

When people think of a Japanese shrine or temple, a typical image often comes to mind: vermilion torii gates, moss-covered stone lanterns and centuries-old wooden beams weathered by time. In recent years, however, some sacred spaces have become sites for architectural experimentation. Across Japan, a new generation of shrines and temples—some redesigned by world-renowned architects, others built entirely from scratch—are embracing modern materials, unexpected shapes, and minimalist sensibilities while retaining their cultural essence.

For visitors, these contemporary sacred sites offer a different kind of spiritual experience: one that is contemplative yet compelling, rooted in history yet forward-thinking. What follows is a curated tour of seven such sites in Japan.

Tokyo Akagi Shrine

Located in Tokyo’s fashionable Kagurazaka district, Akagi Shrine was completely rebuilt in 2010 under the supervision of Kengo Kuma. Rather than restoring the old wooden hall, Kengo Kuma reimagined it as a modern glass pavilion. The walls are mostly transparent, allowing visitors to see the interior of the shrine and the trees beyond. A warm hinoki lattice frame frames the glazing, while the traditional roof form is reinterpreted using folded steel panels.

At night, the warm glow from within the glass hall transforms the entire building into a lantern, casting a soft glow over the cobblestone streets. The site now houses a modern apartment building and a stylish café, Akagi Cafe, blending the everyday with the sacred.

Zuishoji Temple, Tokyo

Located in Minato-ku, Tokyo, Zuishoji Temple is a Zen temple that was recently renovated under the leadership of Kengo Kuma. With the temple’s main hall designated as a Tangible Cultural Property, the 2018 project focused on rebuilding the monks’ residence and reimagining how the temple connects to the urban environment.

Kengo Kuma’s design uses a combination of steel and wood to create a U-shaped corridor surrounding a reflecting pool. Its center features an elevated platform that can be used for community gatherings, performances and seasonal events. The most striking feature is the distinctive roofline – sharp, sloping and metallic – which creates a clear silhouette against the Tokyo sky and contrasts with the soft beauty of the courtyard.

Musashino Reiwa Shrine in Saitama Prefecture

Musashino Reiwa Shrine (formally known as Musashino Nimasu Urwa Hiki Yamato Miyagi Shrine) is a rare example of a shrine built entirely in the current era. Designed by Kengo Kuma, it is part of Tokorozawa Sakura Castle, a large-scale entertainment and shopping mall themed around Japanese pop culture that blends traditional Shinto vocabulary with minimalist modern design. The path to the main shrine is lined with small red torii gates, reminiscent of Inari Shrine, while at night the giant torii gates glow under neon lights, creating a distinctly modern image.

The shrine is dedicated to the sun goddess Amaterasu and her brother Susanoo-no-Mikoto (the god of storms and oceans). Step inside and you’ll see a stunning display of ceiling art, painted by Yoshitaka Amano, who has created works such as final fantasy and Vampire Hunter D.

Korinji Temple in Ehime Prefecture

Although not a temple in the traditional sense, the new shrine (a hall for Buddhist tablets) at Kōrinji Temple in Imabari, designed by Takashi Okuno, is one of the most striking examples of contemporary Buddhist architecture in the Shikoku region. Standing majestically among the surrounding traditional temples, the five-story hall is wrapped in hundreds of cypress rafters, reminiscent of pleated hakama robes, and interspersed with 88 glass panels that reference Zen cosmology and the pilgrimage routes of Shikoku.

These panes filter changing light and convey “shogyo mujo” – the Buddhist idea that nothing lasts forever. For those who come in to pay their respects to a loved one, the interior opens to a warm wooden space. The top floor is made entirely of glass, gently connecting visitors to the surrounding forest.

Honfukuji Temple, Hyogo Prefecture

Architect Tadao Ando is known for his mastery of concrete, and Honfukuji Temple (also known as Water Temple) on Awaji Island can be considered his spiritual masterpiece. From the outside, the temple is almost invisible. Visitors see only a long, curved concrete wall and an oval lotus pond that reflects the sky.

The sanctuary is not above, but below. Customers descend a staircase that goes directly through the center of the pond. Further into the curved corridor, the light changes and visitors enter a circular subterranean hall, where the concrete is bathed in the light cast by the vermilion main hall. This multi-sensory experience also echoes Buddhist ideas of spiritual purification and rebirth.

Aichi Prefecture Hakusan Shrine Ashi Taisha Shrine

Ashio Shrine is located in Nissin City and is an affiliated shrine of the Hakusan complex, dedicated to the god of feet and legs. Due to the large number of football players who come to visit, it is even called the “Football Holy Land”. Designed by architecture firm AUAU, the structure rethinks the worshiper’s physical relationship with God.

Unlike traditional shrines, which impose a strict, linear approach to altars, Ashio Shrine is designed as a “circular” experience that encourages visitors to wander and linger among the sacred groves. The shrine is assembled from an intricate assembly of thin timbers, forming a lattice that allows sunlight to filter through and wind to pass freely, integrating the interior with the surrounding forest.

Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, Fukuoka Prefecture

Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine is one of the most important shrines in Japan, built over the tomb of Sugawara Michizane, the god of culture, art and scholarship. Since the main hall was undergoing renovation until 2026, a “temporary” hall was needed, and Sou Fujimoto was brought in to help.

This iteration is defined by a minimalist black structure topped by an oval “forest-like” roof filled with plum trees—a nod to the shrine’s legendary flying plum trees that flew overnight from Kyoto to Dazaifu to be with Sugawara Michizane. Inside, textiles by designer Maiko Kurogouchi’s womenswear brand Mame Kurogouchi incorporate plum blossom patterns and ancient dyeing methods, further intertwining past and present.

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