The shrine, which is said to date from 709, houses the divine spirit of the dragon deity from a shrine on Nara’s Mount Yoshino, one of Japan’s sacred peaks.

Temples and shrines offer travelers the opportunity to experience local culture in a peaceful atmosphere filled with ...

MANIWA, Okayama -- A branch of a sacred tree that looks like a majestic "ascending dragon" at a shrine in this western Japan city is attracting people from far and wide, as the Chinese zodiac sign ...

While it's difficult to definitively say which are the "best" since it often depends on personal preferences and interests, here are some of the most famous and historically significant shrines and ...

TOKYO (AP) — Almost weekly Momo Nomura makes time to visit Shinto shrines. She performs the prescribed rituals — cleansing her hands, ringing a bell, bowing and clapping. But her main purpose ...

There are about 160,000 temples and shrines in Japan, according to government statistics. “Hotokami,” a word combining Hotoke (Buddha) and Kami (God), ...

TOKYO (AP) — Japan has a long history of pragmatism about traditional religions, which often serve more as connections to family and community than as theological guides, as in the West.

There are about 160,000 temples and shrines in Japan, according to government statistics. “Hotokami,” a word combining Hotoke (Buddha) and Kami (God), ...