Sacred Sites of Tottori

Tottori’s spiritual landscape is defined by architectural marvels and ancient legends. The prefecture is home to the National Treasure Nageire-do, a 12th-century temple built into a vertical cliff face on Mount Mitoku. Other highlights include Daisen-ji, once a center for mountain asceticism, and Hakuto Shrine, the setting for Japan’s oldest love story. From the Edo-period gardens of Kannon-in to the Ikeda clan's family temple at Kozen-ji, these sites showcase diverse Shinto and Buddhist traditions across the region.

Sacred Sites of Tottori — Harita

暗黒な方 (the Black One) / CC BY-SA 3.0

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Hakuto Shrine

Hakuto Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Tottori, Tottori Prefecture, Japan. In 1937, its trees were designated a Natural Monument.

Reggaeman / CC BY-SA 3.0

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Sanbutsu-ji Temple

Sanbutsu-ji is a Buddhist temple in the town of Misasa, Tottori Prefecture, Japan.

Unknown authorUnknown author / Public domain

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三徳山三佛寺投入堂

A designated National Treasure, this wooden Buddhist hall is built into a cave on a sheer cliff face of Mount Mitoku. Dating to the late Heian period, it is considered a masterpiece of Kake-zukuri (overhang) architecture.

Reggaeman / CC-BY-SA-3.0

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Daisen-ji

Daisen-ji is a Buddhist temple located in the town of Daisen, Tottori Prefecture, Japan.

Reggaeman / CC-BY-SA-3.0

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Ōgamiyama Shrine

Ōgamiyama Jinja is a Shinto shrine, in Daisen, Tottori, Japan. A number of its structures have been designated Important Cultural Properties.

KASEI / CC BY-SA 4.0

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光照山学成寺

A Nichiren Buddhist temple in Tottori City. Affiliated with Kyoto's Myokaku-ji, it belongs to the Kosho-zan mountain branch.

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Ōchidani Shrine

Ōchidani Jinja is a Shinto shrine in Tottori, Tottori Prefecture, Japan.

Saigen Jiro / CC0

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Shitori Shrine

Shitori Shrine is a Shinto shrine in the Miyauchi neighborhood of the town of Yurihama in Tottori Prefecture, Japan, on the east bank of…

As6022014 / Cc-by-3.0

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Suwa Shrine

Suwa Jinja is a Shinto shrine in Chizu, Tottori Prefecture, Japan. Known from the time of the Mongol invasions, the shrine is celebrated for…

663highland / CC BY 2.5

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Kannon-In Temple

Kannon-in, formally known as Fudarakusan Jigen-ji Kannon-in, is a Buddhist temple in Uemachi district of the city of Tottori, Tottori…

663highland / CC BY 2.5

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大唐大巖深心山九品院玄忠寺

A Jodo sect temple serving as the burial site for the famous swordsman Araki Mataemon. The grounds include a dedicated museum housing his personal belongings and historical records related to the Kagiya no Tsuji duel.

Reggaeman / CC BY-SA 3.0

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不動院岩屋堂

An Important Cultural Property, this Shugendo temple hall is built within a natural cave. It is one of Japan's three major "cliff-hanging" temples, featuring distinctive wooden architecture integrated into the rock face.

ヨシリン / CC BY-SA 3.0

M

喜見山摩尼寺

A Tendai sect temple situated on Mount Mani. Known for its long stone staircase and historical significance as a mountain training site, it offers views toward the Tottori Sand Dunes.

Reggaeman / CC-BY-SA-3.0

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龍峯山興禅寺

An Obaku sect temple that served as the family temple for the Ikeda clan, the former lords of the Tottori Domain. The grounds feature a preserved Edo-period garden and the tombs of the Ikeda family.

663highland / CC BY 2.5

O

打吹山長谷寺

A Tendai sect temple located on Mount Utsubuki in Kurayoshi. It serves as the 30th site on the Chugoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage and houses several wooden plaques donated by worshippers during the Edo period.