Sanzen-in: Amida Sanzon (Kyoto)

Ohara (大原) – December 31, 2019 When you imagine traveling around Japan, images of trains inevitably arise. And yes, you can get to many of Japan’s most famous sites easily by train. However, some truly beautiful locations can be easily reached only by bus or car. Sanzen-in is one of those places. Sanzen-in is a lush, moss-covered temple complex in Ohara, about an hour north of Kyoto by bus. The winding pathways through the garden lead visitors to many interesting things. In the garden you can find cute stone Warabe-jizo statues, a small pond, and more as you make your…

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Sanzen-in: Honzon Yakushi Nyorai (Kyoto)

When you imagine traveling around Japan, images of trains inevitably arise. And yes, you can get to many of Japan’s most famous sites easily by train. However, some truly beautiful locations can be easily reached only by bus or car. Sanzen-in is one of those places. Sanzen-in is a lush, moss-covered temple complex in Ohara, about an hour north of Kyoto by bus. The winding pathways through the garden lead visitors to many interesting things. In the garden you can find cute stone Warabe-jizo statues, a small pond, and more as you make your way to the various temples. It…

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Sanzen-in: Shou Kannon (Kyoto)

Ohara (大原) – December 31, 2019 When you imagine traveling around Japan, images of trains inevitably arise. And yes, you can get to many of Japan’s most famous sites easily by train. However, some truly beautiful locations can be easily reached only by bus or car. Sanzen-in is one of those places. Sanzen-in is a lush, moss-covered temple complex in Ohara, about an hour north of Kyoto by bus. The winding pathways through the garden lead visitors to many interesting things. In the garden you can find cute stone Warabe-jizo statues, a small pond, and more as you make your…

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Hokoku Shrine (Osaka)

– 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…

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Fushimi Inari Taisha: Inari Yama

– Fushimi Inari Shrine (Oku) – 伏見稲荷大社奥社 –Kyoto(京都) – November 23, 2018 Fushimi Inari Shrine is a large shrine in the Fushimi ward of southern Kyoto that’s famous for it’s long, red torii gate lined paths up Mt Inari. It is the head shrine of all the inari shrines across Japan dedicated to Inari, the shinto god of rice. There are over 30,000 in Japan, making it the most numerous of all the kinds of shrines. In addition to its famous red torii, you can also find statues of foxes throughout the premises. Foxes are believed to be the messengers…

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