Inuyama Naritasan

– Inuyama Naritasan – 犬山成田山 – Inuyama(犬山) – January 6, 2019 Inuyama Naritasan is a branch temple of Naritasan Temple near Narita Airport in Chiba. It’s located in the northern part of Inuyama near Inuyama Castle and the Kiso River. From the top, you can see  a stunning view of the castle with the river in the background. One thing you notice upon entering is the size of the parking lot. There are two reasons for this. One is that in this part of Japan, most people drive. The second is that Naritasan is particularly famous for car protection charms…

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Bansho-ji: Migawari Fudo-Myo

Goshuin for Banshoji’s Shindai Fudoumyou

– 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…

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Masumida Shrine

– Masumida Jinja – 真清田神社 Ichinomiya (一宮市) – July 28, 2017   Masumida Shrine was the ichinomiya, or main shrine, of old Owari Province. It was built at least 1400 years ago and enshrines Amenoho no Akari no Mikoto. Every year in April is the Plum Festival. At this event you can see some funny yabusame and a parade. I actually learned about goshuin when I was here with some friends. The huge Tanabata Matsuri that the city if famous for is held in late July. Food stalls start at the station and extend all the way to the shrine.…

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Atsuta Shrine

– Atsuta Jingu – 熱田神宮 – Nagoya (名古屋) – April 23, 2017 Atsuta Shrine is one of the Japan’s most important Shinto shrines, second only to Ise Shrine. It was built 1900 years ago and enshrines the Sun Goddess Amaterasu. As you may be aware, Japan has Three Sacred Treasures: the sword Kusanagi, the mirror Yata no Kagami, and the jewel Yasakani no Magatama. Atsuta Shrine houses one of these three treasures: Kusanagi. Sadly you cannot see the sword. Not even the emperor can see the sword. No one has actually seen the sword since the Edo Period, but we…

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Osu Kannon

– Osu Kannon – 大須観音 – Nagoya (名古屋) – April 23, 2017   I go to the Osu Kannon area a lot for Solo Pizza and shopping. It was built during the Kamakura period in Gifu Prefecture, but it kept getting damaged by floods so Tokugawa Ieyasu moved it to Nagoya in the 1600’s. It houses a huge statue of Kannon made by Kobo Daishi, the founder of Shingon Buddhism. This goshuin is in my Inuyama Castle Goshuincho. Location

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Haritsuna Shrine

– Haritsuna Jinja – 針綱神社 – Inuyama (犬山市) – April 12, 2017   Haritsuna Shrine is one of the shrines located at the base of Inuyama Castle. I’ve read it as Harimo and Haritsuna Shrine so I’m at a loss for how to read the kanji. I got my hamaya, a kind of good luck charm, here in 2018. This goshuin is in my Inuyama Castle Goshuincho.

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