Dead Frank

Interesting Buddhist Fact Number 31: You are allowed to take pictures in most shrines, so long as you do not take pictures of the statue of buddha.

The distinction can be difficult to communicate, so the more popular temples ban photography entirely once you are inside the shrine.

This rule does not apply to the giant buddhist statue, known in Japanese as a daibutsu (大仏), located in Kamakura.  This is one of the three daibutsu in Japan and might be the only one you can get inside.  On a personal note, climing inside a buddha statue is every bit as awe inspiring as you might imagine.  Pictures do not quite capture the majesty of such a thing.