– Namba Shrine – 平野神社 – Osaka（大阪） – December 30, 2019 Not to be mistaken with the flashier Namba Yasaka Shrine, Namba Shrine is a lovely, peaceful shrine located between Hommachi Station and Shinsaibashi Station. It was built by the 18th emperor of Japan and was later moved to its current location in 1583 Website (JP) Location
– Ikasuri Shrine – 座摩神社- Osaka（大阪市） – December 30, 2019 Ikasuri Shrine is a short walk from Hommachi Station in Osaka. Five deities are enshrined here: Ikui, Sakui, Tsunagai, Asuha, and Hahiki. Website (JP) Location:
– Hokoku Shrine – 豊國神社- Osaka（大阪市） – December 30, 2019 The instant you get out of the station, you can spot Osaka Castle. It’s raised up high above the mote and stands several stories high. You can’t help but stare at it as you stroll through the park towards it. But as you wander around the corner, your eye gets taken by a large torii gate. This is the gate to Hokoku Shrine. Just through the torii you can see a large statue of the man the shrine’s dedicated to: Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the second great unifier of Japan and the…
– Toyosaki Shrine – 豊崎神社- Osaka（大阪市） – November 4, 2019 We pass Toyosaki Shrine very regularly when we visit Osaka and I always thought “I’ll stop and get the goshuin next time.” This was finally the time I stopped. The deity enshrined here is Emperor Kotoku. Location:
– Ankoku-ji – 安國寺- Naha（那覇市） – July 26, 2019 After spending a few wonderful few days with the turtles and fish of Akajima, we had only one overnight stay in Naha. This meant only one day to sight-see. My husband and I love going to world heritage sites and I adore castles, so of course we chose Shuri Castle. However, we traveled so far and I was dead set on getting at least one goshuin while we were in Okinawa. Ankoku-ji is only a few minutes walk from the main gates of Shuri-jo. The gate into the shrine is, to…
– 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…
– 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…
– Kiyomizudera Fudondou – 清水寺不動堂 – Kyoto（京都） – August 7, 2018 Kiyomizudera (Pure Water Temple) is a sprawling temple in the Higashiyama part of Kyoto. The Hondo, or Main Hall, is famous for it’s stage that hangs over the hill below. Near the Hondo are several other shrines and temples. This is the goshuin for Fudondou located near Otowa Waterfall. The stage attached to the Hondo is about 43 feet above the hill and is built without nails using traditional methods. Down the stairs from it is Otowa Waterfall and Fudondou. Hundreds of people line up to drink from its…
– Kiyomizudera Amida-ji – 清水寺阿弥陀寺 – Kyoto（京都） – August 7, 2018 Kiyomizudera (Pure Water Temple) is a sprawling temple in the Higashiyama part of Kyoto. The Hondo, or Main Hall, is famous for it’s stage that hangs over the hill below. Near the Hondo are several other shrines and temples. This is the goshuin for Amida-ji, a temple for the Amida Buddha The stage attached to the Hondo is about 43 feet above the hill and is built without nails using traditional methods. Down the stairs from it is Otowa Waterfall. Hundreds of people line up to drink from its…
– Kiyomizudera Okuno-in – 清水寺奥之院 – Kyoto（京都） – August 7, 2018 Kiyomizudera (Pure Water Temple) is a sprawling temple in the Higashiyama part of Kyoto. The Hondo, or Main Hall, is famous for it’s stage that hangs over the hill below. Near the Hondo are several other shrines and temples. This is the goshuin for Okuno-in, a small temple just past the main hall. The stage attached to the Hondo is about 43 feet above the hill and is built without nails using traditional methods. Okuno-in, while a lovely building on its own, is probably the best place to take…
