As a resident of Kamakura, it would be remiss of me not to talk about Tsurugaoka Hachiman as the first of a series of articles about Kamakura. This shrine is the abode of the patron deity of the Minamoto Clan … Read More
Located at the top of a small hill in Ueno Park is Ueno Daibutsu. Consisting of an intricate Buddhist pagoda and a shrine with statue of a Buddhas head, although monument might be small it has a large and incredible … Read More
Built on a hill close to Ueno Station in Tokyo is Ueno Park. Founded in May 1876, Ueno Park is often considered the first public park in Japan, since then it has developed as a center for celebrating culture and … Read More
Twice a year on the last day of June and December, Shinto shrines participate in a ceremony called Oharae. During the Oharae, the Torii pathway leading to the shrine is transformed with hundreds of people attending this ritual. The … Read More
The Nogi shrine is a Shinto shrine located in Akasaka. It was founded in 1937 to honor Nogi Maresuke and his wife Shizuko. Nogi was a top general of the Japanese Imperial Army who fought through numerous wars, namely the … Read More
Located in Asakusa, part of Taito-ku, Tokyo, lies Sensō-ji, the oldest temple in Tokyo. Sensō-ji is a Buddhist temple that is currently one of the most popular places to visit in Tokyo with over 30 million visitors a year. Just take … Read More
If you have visited any temple or shrine in Japan, there is a good chance you have seen a statue wearing a red hat or red bib. One of the most frequent questions I have received about shrines and temples is, … Read More
Make sure to step over the threshold: Each temple has a wooden section of the floor right before the temple. This section of wood is known as the threshold. The threshold forms a boundary. Positioned between the posts, lintel and … Read More
No trip to Japan is complete with out a visit to at least one shrine. However, visiting a shrine can at times be a little overwhelming. Here are five essential tips to get the most out of your visit to … Read More
Tucked away right next door to one of Tokyo’s biggest and busiest tourist attractions lies the Namiyoke Inari Shrine. This shrine is located in the Tsukiji prefecture, about one block away from the Tsukiji fish market. Although the shrine may … Read More
The other day while finding temples to add to our interactive map, I noticed something strange. I kept noticing the same symbol continuously popping up. This symbol was the manji, or as it is more commonly known, the swastika. Before World … Read More
Earlier this week, I hopped aboard a train to Yokohoma and headed to Sojiji temple. It was here that I had the incredible opportunity to take place in Zazen, led by the Soto Zen monks of the temple. When I … Read More