Owning temples, shrines in Japan can confer special tax status Religious corporations can operate a wide range of businesses Authorities anxious to crack down on dubious buyers SANBAGAWA ...

Kannonji temple and the Japanese government requested the return of the bronze sculpture. However, a South Korean temple claimed ownership, arguing that the artifact was looted from Korea by ...

TOKYO (AP) — A 14th century Korean Buddhist statue stolen from a Japanese temple nearly 13 years ago was returned on Monday, following a yearslong legal battle between Japan and South Korea over ...

Japan has more than 80,000 Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, including top attractions like Tokyo’s grand Senso-ji, Kyoto’s sublime Kiyomizu-dera, and Osaka’s majestic Shitenno-ji.

Long considered symbols of nature’s resilience, the blossoms were often picked as temple offerings. Image In the gardens at Hôtel de Yama in Hakone, Japan, a hot spring town with views of Mount ...

A 14th-century Buddhist statue of the Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, stolen from Japan's Kannonji temple in 2012, sits at Buseok Temple in Seosan, South Korea, Monday, May 5, 2025. (Kyodo News via AP ...