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
Hakozaki Hachimangu Temple, Kyushu
Woodblock print
Kameido Bridge or Shrine
Woodblock print
Kashiwara Shrine
Woodblock print
Mountain Temple (Futara-san, Nikko) - oban
Woodblock print
Nara Kofuku Temple
Woodblock print
Rain at Asakusa Kannon Temple
1933
Color woodblock print
Rain at Horyuji Temple, Nara
Woodblock print
Sengakuji Temple at Takanawa in Tokyo
Woodblock print
Snow over Ukimido Shrine at Katada
Woodblock print
A Temple Gate
1958
Color woodblock print
Nunnery's Garden (A) -- Kyoto Series No. 46, Shôwa period, dated 1975
Kameido Shrine - 亀戸
Woodblock print
Scenes Of Tokyo Views Asakusa Temple
Woodblock print
Asakusa Kanzeon Temple
1932
Color woodblock print
Temple
20th century
Woodblock print
Takatsu in Osaka (Osaka Takatsu), from the series "Souvenirs of Travel, Third Series (Tabi miyage dai sanshu)"
1924
Color woodblock print; oban
No Series Kiyomizu Dera Temple
Woodblock print
Kailasa Temple at Ellora
1931
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Temple Bell Tower
1935
Woodblock print
Toshogu Shrine, signed in pencil in Roman, and in Brush in Japanese,
1937
Woodblock print
Tôshôgu Shrine, Nikkô, Shôwa period, dated 1937
Shôwa period, 1926-1989
Woodblock print
Interior of the Kannon Temple at Asakusa (Asakusa Kannon-dô no naidô)
Japanese, Taishô era–Shôwa era, 20th century
Woodblock print
Meiji Shrine
1932
Woodblock print
Buddha Siamese
Woodblock print
A Greate Image of Buddha in Kamakura
Woodblock print
After a Snowfall, Yasaka Shrine, Kyoto
Woodblock print
Kitchen Kannon (61/80)
Woodblock print
Kannon and Golden Dragon, Green (57/100)
Woodblock print
Golden Pavilion - Kinkakuji
Woodblock print
bronze bell at Daibutsu-den Temple in Kyoto
Woodblock print
Pagoda of Toji Temple - Winter
Woodblock print
Kiyomizu Temple in Winter
Woodblock print
Temple - 寺
Woodblock print
People eating Benkei Chikara mochi under cherry blossoms at Mii Temple — 三井寺の弁慶力餅
Woodblock print
Kiyomizudera Temple
Woodblock print
Rokkakudö Temple
Woodblock print
Temple Shrine 1
Woodblock print
Inside a Temple or Shrine
Woodblock print
Matuo Temple
Woodblock print
Rokuhara-Mitsuji Temple
Woodblock print
Kami Daigoji Temple
Woodblock print
Nakayama Temple
Woodblock print
Kannnon Syoji Temple
Woodblock print
ANNO Temple
Woodblock print
Yoshimine Temple
Woodblock print
Kehi Shrine
Woodblock print
Fuji Northern Entrance- Asama Shrine — 富士山北口浅間神社と富士
Woodblock print
#67 Asakusa
Woodblock print
Takatsu Shrine, from
Woodblock print
Dainichidô Shrine of Kobinata, Tokyo, Taishô period, dated 1916
Woodblock print
Sloping Path to Kiyomizu — 清水産寧坂通
Woodblock print
Visiting a Temple
Woodblock print
Temple with mounds of mums on a riverbank
Woodblock print
Temple and figures in a misty landscape.
Woodblock print
Temple in mist
Woodblock print
Temple in snow
mid 20th century
Woodblock print
Ebisu Jinja Gate — 戎神社門
Woodblock print
Comic manifold worship of buddha
Woodblock print
Snow on Temple Roofs
Woodblock print
Entrance to Golden Temple, Armistrar
Not set
Woodblock print
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.