Shirokanedai Walking Guide — 15 Spots from Temple Town to the Nature Garden

Around Shirokanedai Station there are 15 walking spots, ranging from temples to a nature garden and a local history museum. Eleven of the 15 are temples, so the walk traces the "temple town" stretching from Shirokanedai to Takanawa, where temples have gathered since the Edo period. None of the 15 spots has a budget figure registered, making this a quiet walk built around temple grounds and greenery.

A good order: start at the Minato City Local History Museum, move into the Institute for Nature Study, then take in Zuishoji Temple, Donguri Children's Park and Kojiro Inari Shrine before linking the temples from Kotoriji to Ryusoin along the back lanes. You don't have to cover all 15 in one go — split it into the greenery first and the temple town second.

Minato City Local History Museum

[Minato City Local History Museum](/en/spot/8de55181-a06a-4193-a133-653cf4d294e6) occupies the former Public Health Institute building, built in 1938. Its heavy scratch-tile exterior, designed by Yoshikazu Uchida (内田祥三), who worked on many University of Tokyo buildings, is a sight in itself. Permanent exhibits cover Minato City's nature, history and culture, making it an easy starting point.

Institute for Nature Study, National Museum of Nature and Science

[Institute for Nature Study, National Museum of Nature and Science](/en/spot/2284ef0f-0e93-4038-8462-672e1cf7fd17) sits a few minutes' walk from Shirokanedai Station, with roughly 20 hectares of forest, wetland and ponds that preserve the old Musashino landscape. Opened to the public in 1949, it offers varied plants and animals through all four seasons. This is the highlight of the walk — nature that makes you forget you're in central Tokyo.

Zuishoji Temple

[Zuishoji Temple](/en/spot/c700c6e2-099f-43fd-80bd-baff0f6d57a7) is an Ōbaku Zen temple founded in 1670. Its halls incorporate Chinese architectural style, and in 2018 a new priests' quarters designed by architect Kengo Kuma was added. It's a place to enjoy distinctive architecture within Shirokanedai's quiet streets.

Shirokanedai Donguri Children's Park

True to "donguri" (acorn), trees are planted around this small [Shirokanedai Donguri Children's Park](/en/spot/6f24680f-a879-4c1e-b553-e5a28eef157a). A bench here is just right for a mid-walk rest.

Kojiro Inari Shrine

[Kojiro Inari Shrine](/en/spot/13261ac4-f094-454a-b10e-c3c5650ffda9) is a small Inari shrine tucked quietly into Shirokanedai's residential streets. It has the plain, cared-for feel of a place kept by local people, the kind you meet by turning down a side lane. Good for a quiet moment of prayer.

Kotoriji Temple

[Kotoriji Temple](/en/spot/67e2f976-c1e3-46e6-8638-7f2d7f111b70) is a quiet temple on the high ground of Shirokanedai. The calm air makes the city feel far away, and walking it together with the nearby temples reveals how deep the area's history runs.

Myoenji Temple

[Myoenji Temple](/en/spot/b01f4100-e597-49ea-8a9c-2f5165bd7e1b) blends into a quiet residential neighborhood. The grounds are still despite the central location — enough to forget the noise of daily life for a while.

Shōgenji Temple

[Shōgenji Temple](/en/spot/f7949ad6-b4ee-41f4-b075-a5ee3b730987) stands quietly among Shirokanedai's calm residential streets. Its settled atmosphere invites you to stop mid-walk, and pairing it with the surrounding temples and shrines works well.

Joko-ji Temple

[Joko-ji Temple](/en/spot/86a7062e-369a-4dbd-b19e-c1e6437e6199) belongs to Shirokanedai's temple cluster, its composed grounds adding stillness to a city walk. Visit the neighboring temples too and you get the temple-town atmosphere as a whole.

Saijō-ji Temple

[Saijō-ji Temple](/en/spot/95bb1663-6c7f-4acc-9017-e4dbe35bc31d) is one corner of an area dotted with temples. Together with the surrounding greenery it forms a quiet walking route — a place to pause away from the bustle.

Kaihoji Temple

[Kaihoji Temple](/en/spot/f952a74f-964b-4e33-86c2-0497f3c82ff3) sits in the temple-town area known for gathering temples since the Edo period. Look in on its still grounds, folded into the residential streets, as you pass.

Seigan-ji Temple

[Seigan-ji Temple](/en/spot/376be9c3-e0bb-4a32-b3fa-e75986da079f) is one of the many temples in the Shirokane–Takanawa area dating from the Edo period. You find it by leaving the main road for the lanes, which makes it easy to fold into a route with the nearby temples and shrines.

Honganji Temple

[Honganji Temple](/en/spot/4f7bcd6f-8268-439d-a536-e19d319023ed) lies close to Shirokanedai Station. Its grounds, set within quiet residential streets, have a composed mood that makes you want to stop for a moment.

Horenji Temple

[Horenji Temple](/en/spot/7708afc8-8c09-495d-95e7-9a7d0a5e05e0) stands near Shirokanedai Station, in the belt from Shirokanedai to Takanawa where many temples and shrines gather. Its quiet grounds, away from the city's noise, are a place to rest your feet.

Ryusoin Temple (Shinagawa City)

[Ryusoin Temple (Shinagawa City)](/en/spot/53acd03e-94d5-4dc1-99ba-e3d02f0fd5e3) is within walking distance of Shirokanedai Station, over in Shinagawa City. The Shirokanedai–Takanawa area holds many temples dating back to the Edo period, and Ryusoin keeps its quiet grounds among them.

With 11 temples here, walk softly on the grounds and take care not to disturb worshippers. Short on time? Narrow it to three: the Institute for Nature Study for greenery, Zuishoji Temple and the Minato City Local History Museum for architecture.