Japan Atlas has information about historical sites, architecture, traditional crafts, festivals, nature and advanced technology. It's easy to read, concise information that is well organized.
Asian Historical Architecture If you are interested in seeing more examples of Japanese architecture, click on this link then click on Japan. It's organized by city: Himeji, Kobe, Kyoto, Nara and Tokyo. You will have a choice of many architectural examples to explore. There are site maps that show where in the temple complex the photo was taken. Photographs are donated by generous people so quality varies, but it is fascinating to see many details and get an idea of the size of a building or temple.
JCastle Guide to Japanese Castles Eric O. started this web site and adds to it with the help of many volunteers. He lives in Tokyo but travels all over Japan to visit castles. There are individual profiles on almost 300 castles, plus articles, maps and descriptions of the main structures found at most castles. Hundreds of photos will help you understand and appreciated these magnificent buildings.
Here are three sacred sites in Japan. They are from the Sacred Sites/Asia web site.
Izumo Taisha, Japan Situated at the foot of the sacred Yakumo and Kamiyama hills, the temple of Izumo Taisha is considered to be the oldest and most important Shinto shrine in all of Japan.
Miyajima Island Located several miles off the coast of Hiroshima city, the holy island of Miyajima is a sacred site of both Shintoism and Buddhism and one of the most enchantingly beautiful places on Earth. Long before Buddhism came to Japan in the 5th century AD, Shinto sages lived as hermits in the mountain’s forested hills. Today the small island of only 12 square miles is much visited by pilgrims and tourists (Ms. Rindsberg has been there twice - it's very special.)
Ryoanji Temple Ryoan-ji, the Temple of the Peaceful Dragon, was founded in 1473 by Katsumoto Hosokawa. Within the precints of the beautiful temple is the famous Zen garden of Soami, completed in 1499. There is a nice photograph of the Zen garden, but unfortunately, not a close-up and there are no images of the beautiful, large landscape garden that surrounds it.