Senso-ji: Daikokuten (Asakusa)
Year: 2018
Senso-ji: Sacred Bodhisattva (Asakusa)
– Senso-ji – 浅草寺 – Tokyo (東京) – July 31, 2018 The Asakusa area has a lot of iconic Japanese things in one area. The striking Kaminari-mon (Thunder Gate) with its huge paper lantern, a 200 meter shopping street where you can buy souvenirs and more, and a good view of the nearby Tokyo Skytree. Then, at the end of the walk, the oldest temple in Tokyo: Senso-ji. History According to the homepage, in 628, about 1000 years before Tokyo became the capitol, two brothers were fishing in the Sumida River. When they hauled in their net to check their…
Bansho-ji: Migawari Fudo-Myo
– Migawari Fudo-myo – 身代不動明王 – Nagoya（名古屋） – May 5, 2018 If you ever get the chance to spend time in Nagoya, I recommend going to the Osu Kannon shopping area. Of course, Osu Kannon is probably the biggest tourist site in the area, but if you enter the shopping arcade you’ll discover a treasure trove of shops, good food, and a small, modern temple known as Bansho-ji. Now it’s very modern and flashy looking and really fits in nicely with the surrounding arcades and electronics stores, but it’s actually very old. It was built by the Oda family in 1540…
Hirano Shrine
– Hirano Shrine – 平野神社 – Kyoto（京都） – May 4, 2018 Hirano Shrine was built in 794. Now its a pretty quiet location most of the year. It’s famous for its beautiful cherry blossoms in the spring. Location:
Kitano Tenman-gu Shrine
– Kitano Tenman-gu Shrine – 北野天満宮 – Kyoto（京都） – May 4, 2018 Kitano Tenman-gu is a large, beautiful shrine that was built over 1000 years ago. It was built in honor of Sugawara Michizane, a scholar from the Heian period. It’s extremely popular among students who are studying for entrance exams. As you walk up, there are many statues of cows along the walkway. People touch them for good luck. There is also a large grove of plum trees growing here that is beautiful in the spring. If you visit in March, you should check them out. Location:
Futami Okitama Shrine
– Futami Okitama Shrine – 二見興玉神社- Ise（伊勢） – April 29, 2018 Futami Okitama Shrine is best known for the two wedded rocks in the ocean next to it, Meoto-Iwa (husband and wife rocks). Many people like to visit here before Ise Jingu to purify themselves, but we did the exact opposite. As you’d expect of a shrine with such a landmark, it’s popular among couples. This was our first trip as a married couple, and we got a husband and wife omamori set. You can see many frog statues around the shrine. The main kami enshrined here is Sarutahiko no…
Sarutahiko Shrine (Ise)
– Sarutahiko Shrine – 猿田彦神社 – Ise（伊勢） – April 29, 2018 Sarutahiko Shrine is not far from Ise Grand Shrine Naiku. It’s a good place to stop if you decide to walk along Okage-yokocho. It’s on the opposite end from Naiku. Sarutahiko Okami is the kami enshrined here. He was the leader among earthly kami. Many people visit to pray for safe travel and business success. The shrine is very pretty. The torii is a simple wooden structure with lovely decorative caps on the ends. On your way in, you’ll notice that the temizuya is covered in stickers. Location:
Ise Grand Shrine Naiku
– Ise Grand Shrine Naiku – 伊勢神宮内宮 – Ise（伊勢） – April 29, 2018 Ise Grand Shrine, or Ise Jingu, is considered to be Japan’s most sacred shrine. Jingu is not a single place, but a huge complex of shrines through the area centered around Geku (the outer shrine) and Naiku (the inner shrine). Naiku houses Amaterasu-Omikami, the sun goddess and the ancestor of the Japanese imperial line. Geku and Naiku both were designed and built before the introduction of Buddhism to Japan, so the architecture is pure, old-style Shinto. Ise Jingu is also special in that a new Naiku and…
Ise Grand Shrine Blue Goshuincho
Ise Grand Shrine Geku Goshuincho When: April 29, 2017 Where: Ise Grand Shrine Naiku Size: Large (12cm x 18cm) I originally got the small purple goshincho at Geku, but when I was looking at the shop at Naiku I really loved this light blue goshuincho. I wound up buying two at Ise Jingu. The pattern on this goshuincho is simple, but because of the way its woven it sparkles quite a bit. The Ise Jingu logo is woven into it. This one costs 1200 yen. This design is not available at Geku. At Naiku, this and a few other…
Ise Grand Shrine Geku
– Ise Grand Shrine Geku – 伊勢神宮外宮 – Ise（伊勢） – April 29, 2018 Ise Grand Shrine, or Ise Jingu, is considered to be Japan’s most sacred shrine. Jingu is not a single place, but a huge complex of shrines through the area centered around Geku (the outer shrine) and Naiku (the inner shrine). This is the goshuin for Geku. Like a lot of older shrines’ goshuin, it is very simple. This goshuin is from Geku. It’s a fairly short walk straight out from Iseshi Station. This outer shrine was established during the 5th century. Geku houses Touyoke Omikami, the…
