Historic Japan Temple to Request Visitors to Dress Appropriately When Entering Grounds

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:48 JST, April 4, 2026

KOYA, Wakayama — Kongobuji temple will set up a signboard in Japanese and English next month asking visitors to dress appropriately when visiting the temple.

The temple will request that visitors refrain from wearing casual or revealing clothing, such as tank tops and miniskirts, when entering the grounds.

Kongobuji, the main temple of the Koyasan Shingon sect of Buddhism, is located in Koya, Wakayama Prefecture. Koyasan is a sacred site for Shingon Esoteric Buddhism, established by Kukai during the Heian period (794 to the late 12th century).

The Okunoin area, which is located on the temple grounds, is considered its holiest sanctuary, as it is where Kukai is believed to remain in eternal meditation. Photography, eating and drinking are already prohibited in certain sections.

According to an official in the temple’s administrative office, the temple previously advised visitors against wearing flashy clothing on its website. However, with the rise in foreign tourists and recent heat waves, there has been a noticeable increase in visitors wearing clothes that expose their shoulders or legs.

In preparation for summer, the temple decided to set up signs in both Japanese and English at the entrance of the Okunoin area by early May. The temple plans to ask travel agencies to inform their customers of the policy. The temple will also distribute leaflets during the upcoming Golden Week holidays.

Visitors wearing inappropriate clothing will be encouraged to purchase a hakue, a white pilgrimage robe, at nearby souvenir shops.

“We are not trying to deny anyone’s fashion choices,” the official said. “We simply hope for the understanding of visitors regarding the nature of the site.”