Temples & Shrines Prints (980)
Temples and shrines are among the most enduring subjects in Japanese printmaking, reflecting the central role of Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines in Japanese cultural life. These sacred structures, often set within landscapes of exceptional natural beauty, offered printmakers subjects that combined architectural precision with atmospheric grandeur. The meisho-e (famous places) tradition naturally featured prominent religious sites — Sensoji temple in Asakusa, Kiyomizu-dera in Kyoto, the Itsukushima shrine at Miyajima — alongside natural landmarks. Hiroshige's prints of temple precincts in rain, snow, and moonlight established visual conventions that shin-hanga artists would later refine. The torii gate, pagoda silhouette, and temple approach flanked by lanterns became iconic compositional elements. Kawase Hasui made temple and shrine subjects a specialty, producing atmospheric views of sacred sites across Japan that captured the interplay of architecture, nature, and light at specific times of day and seasons. His prints of snow-covered temple roofs and rain-washed shrine paths are among the most recognized images in twentieth-century Japanese art. The subject remains popular with contemporary moku-hanga artists, who continue to find fresh perspectives on Japan's architectural heritage.
Artists Known for Temples & Shrines
Saga, Kyoto (D)
1968
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Ikarugano Sato (A) (Nara)
Woodblock print
Oku no hosomichi Unganji, Kurohane
1965
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Jiko-in, Nara
Woodblock print
Miyoshin-ji Kyoto (C)
Woodblock print
Untitled (aoyama-masaharu)
Woodblock print
Ryôan-ji, Kyoto, Shôwa period, dated 1960
Woodblock print
Syujyaku-mon Sansen-in, Kyoto
Woodblock print
Tosyodai-Ji, Nara
Woodblock print
Oku no hosomichi Junenji, Sukagawa
1965
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Kozan-Ji, Kyoto (B)
Woodblock print
Asuka
Woodblock print
Ōbaku-san, Uji (A)
1960
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Ryoanji, Kyoto (A)
1954
Color woodblock print
Gion in Kyoto (J)
1966
Color woodblock print; edition 51/100
Enoshima, from the series Famous Sights of Japan (Nihon meishō zue)
1896 (Meiji 29)
Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper
Hanzenji Kyoto
Woodblock print
Kohô-an, Daitoku-ji, Kyoto, Shôwa period, dated 1961
Woodblock print
Giö-ji
Woodblock print
Sengaku-ji
Woodblock print
Kyoto
Woodblock print
Untitled (ishiwata-koitsu)
Woodblock print
#11. Nezu
Woodblock print
Tenno-Ji in the Sno
Woodblock print
Sunset Glow at Ishiyama
Woodblock print
Unknown
Not set
Woodblock print
Untitled (yuhan-ito)
Woodblock print
Chikubu Island
Woodblock print
Sekitei, Ryôan-ji, Shôwa period, dated 1960
Woodblock print
Onakatomi no Yoshinobu Ason, from the series "One Hundred Poems by One Hundred Poets (Hyakunin isshu no uchi)"
c. 1842
Color woodblock print; oban
Ise Shima National Park
Woodblock print
FOUR SEASONS OF NIKKO- set
Not set
Woodblock print
Ukimi-do
浮見堂
Woodblock print
Shungo Sekiguchi
Woodblock print
Pogoda in Ikaruga J
Woodblock print
Yasaka neighborhood
Not set
Woodblock print
Sanjusangen-do
三十三間堂
Woodblock print
Stone Lanterns
Woodblock print
Year-End Fair (A)
Woodblock print
Album cover
Not set
Woodblock print
Hiyoshi Mamoru (a.c. 1950s)
Not set
Woodblock print
New Year's Day
Woodblock print
Tori-no-Ichi Fair
Woodblock print
Wall of Kyoto (A), Shôwa period, dated 1960
Woodblock print
Benten Shrine at Nezugaseki
Woodblock print
Torii and Streetcar at Yasukuni Shrine
Woodblock print
Ginkakuji (Silver Pavilion)
Woodblock print
Asakusa
Woodblock print
Zojoji
Woodblock print
Nezu
Woodblock print
Gohyakurakan
Woodblock print
Tepposu Inari
Woodblock print
Akibasan
Woodblock print
Megurofudo
Woodblock print
Sannogongen
Woodblock print
Yushima
Woodblock print
Chumon (Inner Gate), Horyu-ji
Woodblock print
The Inner Hall of Asakusa Kannon/浅草観世音の内堂
1932
Woodblock Print
Asakusa Rose
2022
Collage
Great Buddha in Flames
2009
Kappazuri stencil
Related Subjects
Frequently Asked Questions
Temples and shrines are among the most enduring subjects in Japanese printmaking, reflecting the central role of Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines in Japanese cultural life. These sacred structures, often set within landscapes of exceptional natural beauty, offered printmakers subjects that combined architectural precision with atmospheric grandeur.
Kawase Hasui, Utagawa Hiroshige, and Kotozuka Eiichi are among the artists most associated with temples & shrines in our collection. Browse the full list of artists who explored this subject above.
Hanga currently catalogues 980 prints tagged with temples & shrines, spanning ukiyo-e, shin-hanga, and sōsaku-hanga traditions where applicable.