Home Archive by category "Chubu Region" (Page 3)

Category: Chubu Region

Enshuu Shigisan Betsuin (Hamamatsu)

Enshuu Shigisan Betsuin 遠州信貴山別院 Hamamatsu (浜松市) October 6, 2018 About Enshuu Shigisan Betsuin Shigisan is the oldest temple in Japan devoted to Bishamonten. Bishamonten is the heavenly king of the north and one of the seven lucky gods. He is a god of war and is often prayed to for victory. As a lucky god, he’s assiocated with bringing safety to the home and prosperity to businesses. This temple is one of its branch locations. So in addition to being a good mini sightseeing trip, it was an appropriate place to go before a martial arts competition. My Visit I…

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Gujo Hachiman Castle

Gujo Hachiman Castle 郡上八幡城 Matsumoto (松本市) September 17, 2018 The gojoin for Gujo Hachiman Castle in Gujo, Gifu Prefecture. I had no idea castles could have goshuin unitl I got this one. Gujo Hachiman Castle is high up on Mt Hachiman above the city of Gujo and can be seen from the tollway there. It was originally built in 1559 but demolished by the Meiji government in the 1870s in accordance with the Haijo Edict, however the tenshu, or castle keep, was later rebuilt as a museum based on Ogaki Castle’s design in 1933. Gujo is also famous for their…

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Anyo-ji (Gujo)

Anyo-ji 安養寺 Gujo（郡上） September 17, 2018 About Anyo-ji Anyo-ji is located near the base of Mt. Joyama under Gujo Hachiman Castle. It is the largest wooden structure in Gifu Prefecture. It also has a treasure room that you can enter. The nearby Joyama Park is one of the locations for Gujo Odori in the summer. My Visit to Anyo-ji The day we stopped by the temple was unfortunately under construction. A typhoon hit us recently and the roof was in need of repair. You can see other goshuin from Gifu Prefecture here. Links Temples and Shrines of Gujo Hachiman (EN)…

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Onsen-ji

– Onsen-ji – 温泉寺 – Gero（下呂） – September 1, 2018   One of the top three onsen towns in Japan is Gero Onsen in Gifu Prefecture. It’s a lovely river-side city with many onsen to visit. If you venture little ways up the mountain away from the river, you can visit the onsen temple, Onsen-ji. One story form Gero Onsen’s history of over 1000 years is this. In 1265, the onsen’s hot water stopped. The following year, the villagers noticed a the flashing white wings of a white heron dancing on the riverbed of the Hida River every day. When…

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Kogane Shrine

Goshuin for Kogane Shrine

– Kogane Shrine – 金神社 – Gifu – 岐阜 – August 31, 2018 Kogane Shrine is written with the kanji for gold/money, but even without knowing any kanji it’s pretty obvious what people come here for: Luck with money. Why? When you walk up to the shrine, you’re welcomed by a giant gold torii. It is a shrine near the middle of Gifu and is closely connected to two other shrines in the area: Inaba Shrine and Kashimori Shrine. The god enshrined here is Nunoshihime-no-mikoto, wife of Inishiki-Irihiko-no-mikoto who is enshrined at Inaba Shrine and the mother of Ichihaya-no-mikoto at…

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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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