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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Ankoku-ji (Okinawa)

– 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…

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Daijobo

Daijobo 大乗坊 Osaka (大阪) May 1, 2019 About Daijobo Daijobo is a Mt Koya Shingon sect shrine in Osaka. Originally called Shinbo, it was a sub-temple of Korozan Homan-ji My Visit I stopped by quickly because it’s part of the 7 Gods of Fortune Meguri. It’s a very small, unassuming temple. Other goshuin in Osaka. Links Omairi (JP) Location of Daijobo

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