This talk addresses the problem of hell in Japanese Buddhism in two parts. First, it examines the concept of various hells and their relationship to bad actions by focusing on a key text in this context, Genshin's Ōjō yōshū ("Essentials of Birth [in the Pure Land]"). Second, the talk explores how contemporary religious sites in Japan incorporate the concept of hell within their precincts and halls. This includes so-called earthly representations of hell, such as Osorezan ("The Mountain of Fear"), the role of hell in mountain asceticism (Shugendō), and halls enshrining images of Enma (Skt. Yama), the king of hells. The aim is to elucidate how various aspects of Buddhist hells and their doctrinal foundations are emphasised in Buddhist practice as manifested in Japanese temples.