Because of its rich history, Kyoto is one of Japan’s most essential cities. A former imperial capital, Kyoto is now one of the most visited cities in the world. Known for its numerous shrines, temples, and Zen gardens, the city possesses an exceptional spiritual and cultural heritage.

How to tell the difference between a temple and a shrine:

A shrine, called jinja (神社), belongs to the Shinto religion, which is native to Japan. A shrine is recognizable by its torii gate (鳥居), often painted red, which marks the boundary between the divine world and the human world. This is why Japanese people bow when entering or leaving through the torii to show respect to the deities (kami).

A temple, called o-tera (お寺), belongs to the Buddhist religion, which arrived in Japan in the 6th century. A temple can be identified by its mon gate (門), which can sometimes be quite large. In Japanese, the difference is also reflected in the name: temples often carry the suffix “-ji”, written with the same character as tera (寺). Most temples have a cemetery behind them, and you can sometimes find large and impressive pagodas on the grounds. Historically, during the Meiji era, the influence of Buddhism was significantly reduced in favor of promoting Shintoism as the nation’s official religion.

Although different, these two religions are deeply complementary in Japanese culture. Shintoism is more focused on life events, such as births, the coming-of-age ceremony (at 20 years old), and weddings. Buddhism, on the other hand, is more centered on death and mourning, with temples serving as places of rest for the deceased.