The Kencho-ji Temple is the oldest Zen training monastery in Japan, and ranks first out of five temples that are called “Kamakura’s Five Mountain Zen Temples.” This temple was built in 1253, which was the fifth year of the Kencho … Read More
Dokuonji is a temple that was constructed nearly 400 years ago and holds a rich history. Regardless of nationality or religion, anyone is welcome to join monthly meditation and Sutra writings at Dokuonji. Once a year, Dokuonji hosts a temple … Read More
Kitakyushu is close to many Asian countries, and because it is conveniently located on the strait connecting Tokyo and Shanghai, it has been blessed with prosperity as a gateway to Asia and as an industrial base in Japan. Have you … Read More
When you think of temples and shrines in Japan, you might imagine Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa or Meiji Shrine in Harajuku, both famous sightseeing spots in Tokyo. However, there are many more shrines and temples you should visit in Japan. … Read More
The 3 Dragon Gates of Tokyo Torii gates represent the border between the secular world and the sacred worlds of the Shinto religion. The gates act as a passageway into the sacred space of a shrine. It’s not uncommon for … Read More
The Komyoji Temple, part of the school of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism, dates back to the year 1212. Like many other temples, the Komyoji Temple suffered from the Great Kanto Earthquake (1923), which triggered a fire to the temple, which … Read More
This year, the 42nd G7 summit was held on May 26-27. The summit was held in the Mie Prefecture of Japan and during the summit, Shinzo Abe, Barack Obama, Justin Trudeau, François Hollande, Angela Merkel, Matteo Renzi, David Cameron … Read More
Togoshi Hachiman Shrine is located in Tokyo, Japan at the end of the Togoshiginza shopping street. There are a lot of attractive stores so there are always crowds of people, most likely locals. Every store has a unique personality and … Read More
On November 10th, 1272, the 8th year of the Bun-ei Era, Shiro Sakondaifu Hojo gave Tokichiyo, his fifth son, power over several vassals. He told him to stay at Hebi-kubo (an area near Shinagawa-ku now) and told him to … Read More
Mabashi Inari Shrine is located in the middle of the JR Chuo Line between Koenji Station and Asagaya Station. People claim that this shrine was founded in the Kamakura era, however it is not known for sure. The Mabashi Inari … Read More
Have you ever heard of the town of Koenji in Japan? If so, what does it bring to mind? If you were to ask Japanese people, Koenji would be described as a small town with many used clothing stores, secondhand … Read More
The main belief system of the Japanese people is called Shintoism. Shinto is more than a religious faith. It is an amalgam of attitudes, ideas, and ways of doing things that through two millenniums have become an integral part of … Read More