Articles for the theme Temples and Shrines in Tokyo

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Exterior of Sengaku-ji Temple

Sengakuji Temple

This Buddhist temple of the Edo era (1603 - 1868) was the scene for one of the most famous samurai stories, 47 Ronin. 

Yasukuni Shrine

Yasukuni Shrine

At the heart of an arrangement of memorial buildings for soldiers who died whilst fighting for the Emperor. The shrine seems so peaceful yet Yasukuni Jinja became very controversial.

Door looking out to a crowded courtyard and torii

Meiji Jingu Shrine

Located in the heart of Tokyo in a wooded area of over 100,000 trees, Meiji-Jingu is one of Japan’s most famous shrines and is dedicated to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken.

Great Buddha, Kamakura

Spiritual Retreats Near Tokyo

With its many buildings and bustling center, hectic Tokyo is not necessarily the city that we think of when we talk about spiritual retreats in Japan.

Construit en 1612 par le shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa (1543-1616), le Sengaku-ji reste aujourd’hui un lieu religieux prisé des japonais

Sengakuji temple and its 47 samurai

This Buddhist temple from the Edo era (1603-1868) was the theater of one of the most famous samurai stories.

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Hokekyoji Temple Cherry Blossom

Hokekyoji Temple near Tokyo is an important Nichiren-sect temple famous for its cherry blossom in season and several historical temple halls and pagoda.

Le sanctuaire Meiji-jingu à Tokyo

Top 5 unmissable Shinto shrines in Tokyo

Japanese shrines are places of worship for Shintoism, the original religion of Japan. During a trip to Japan, they are undoubtably among the most beautiful discoveries you'll make.

Senso-ji

Senso-ji temple in Asakusa

Located in the Asakusa district of Tokyo, not far from the Sumida River, the Senso-ji Buddhist temple is particularly popular with the Japanese but also arouses the interest of tourists.

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Yushima Seido

Located near Ochanomizu station, the astonishing Yushima Seido intrigues with its majestic and elegant black buildings.

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Shiofune Kannon Temple Ome

The Shiofune Kannon Temple in Ome, Tokyo is a Shingon sect temple known for its beautiful azaleas which bloom throughout April and May.

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Torigoe Shrine

Torigoe Shrine in Taito ward, Tokyo, is an ancient Shinto shrine over 1,300 years old, and a picturesque, photogenic spot to visit near Asakusabashi and Kuramae.

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Kameido Tenjin Shrine

Kameido Tenjin Shrine is a picturesque Shinto shrine in Kameido, Tokyo, famous mainly for its beautiful landscaping, springtime wisteria and turtle pond.

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Togo Shrine Harajuku

Togo Shrine is a Shinto shrine in the Harajuku district of Tokyo built less than a century ago to commemorate Japan's naval war hero, Heihachiro Togo.

The Port of Thunder, Kaminari-mon, marks the entrance to the Sensoji Temple in Asakusa (Tokyo).

The Senso-ji under the magnifying glass

The Senso-ji is one of the essential visits to the Japanese capital.

Sanctuaire Nezu

Nezu Shrine

The Nezu-Jinja is the main shrine of the Yanesen region, northwest of Ueno Park in Tokyo. It is also one of the oldest shrines in Japan.

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Hanazono Shrine Shinjuku Tokyo

Hanazono Shrine in Shinjuku, Tokyo is an historic shrine connected with entertainers and known for its cherry blossom and Reitaisai festival.

Pour la nouvelle année, partez à la chasse aux sceaux du pèlerinage des 7 dieux de la chance !

Shichifukujin Meguri: The 7 Lucky Gods Pilgrimage in Tokyo

How about a little luck to start the year off right? In Tokyo, the Shichifukujin Meguri pilgrimage is a tradition followed by many locals.

Imado jinja shrine

The Imado-jinja shrine is a Shinto shrine dedicated to Maneki-neko, the lucky cat. They also venerate Izanagi and Izanami supposed to bring good fortune to couples.

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St. Mary's Cathedral

 

The Cathedral of Sainte-Marie has a unique architecture, far from our European Gothic cathedrals. Its construction dates back to 1964, but it could also come from the future!

le temple Kappa-dera à Tokyo

Sôgen-ji, the temple of the kappa

 

Sôgen-ji is a very modern looking temple. However, any lover of legends must visit it: it is dedicated to Japan's most famous folkloric character, the kappa.

 

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Shinganji Temple

Shinganji Temple, in the free and easy youth hangout that is Shimokitazawa, Tokyo, is a four-century year old temple dominated by a giant ginkgo tree dating from its founding.

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Kitazawa Hachiman Shrine

Kitazawa Hachiman Shrine is a large Shinto shrine in Shimokitazawa, Tokyo, that has numerous small shrines on its grounds, and a big festival every September.

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Tomioka Hachiman-gu Shrine

Tomioka Hachimangu Shrine is the largest Hachiman Shrine in Tokyo, and is adjacent to the the most famous Buddhist temple in the Fukagawa district of Tokyo.

Onoterusaki Shrine

Onoterusaki Shrine in Taito ward, east Tokyo, is a shrine with its own "Mt. Fuji" and is visited by entertainers and scholars to pray for success.

Bledisloe Cup in Tokyo

Shimogamo Shrine & Rugby History in Japan

Shimogamo Shrine & Rugby History 下鴨神社: The draw for the 2019 Rugby World Cup to be held in Japan was made earlier this month on May 10 in Kyoto.

Torii Kanda Myojin

Kanda Myôjin

Located in a relatively un-touristy district of Tokyo, Kanda Myôjin can easily be overlooked by travelers.

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Jyomyoin Temple

Jyomyoin Temple in the Yanaka district of Tokyo is known for its vast collection of 25,000 statues of Jizo.

Yanagimori Shrine

Tranquil Yanagimori Shrine near Akihabara in Tokyo is a fascinating mixture of Japanese history and folklore, and home to no less than seven Japanese gods.

Komagatado Hall

Komagatado Hall is a tiny Buddhist temple on a street corner, a short walk from the famous Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, Tokyo, and is intimately connected with Sensoji's history.

Tokudaiji Marishi-ten

Tokudaiji Marishi-ten Temple is a Hindu-inspired Buddhist temple squeezed into the bustling market of Okachimachi in Tokyo.

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Jindaiji Temple Chofu

Jindaiji in Chofu is Tokyo's second oldest temple, and combines ancient Buddhist history with a sylvan setting, soba restaurants and a pet cemetery.

Eko-in Temple Ryogoku

Eko-in Temple in the Ryogoku area of Tokyo is the spiritual home of sumo and a place where the victims of disasters, criminals and animals are laid to rest.

Kanda Myojin Shrine

Kanda Myojin is an historic shrine close to Akihabara which is the home shrine of the Kanda matsuri, one of Tokyo's top festivals.

Naritasan Shinshoji Temple - Introduction

Narita-san temple is a Shingon sect Buddhist temple situated in Narita, Chiba Prefecture and was founded in 940 by Kancho Daisojo, a disciple of Kukai.

The Buddhist temple Koganji of the Soto Zen sect in the district of Sugamo in Tokyo is particularly famous for its statue of Jizo Togenuki.

Koganji Temple

On Jizôdori street, Koganji temple attracts lots of Obachan - grandmothers - for symbolic healing powers.

Beside the Tokyo National Museum, Ueno, the Kanei-ji Buddhist temple holds the graves of six shoguns.

Kanei-ji Temple

Notable for its five-story pagoda, the Kanei-ji watches over the graves of six Tokugawa Shoguns.

The Jomyo-in at Toyko gathers over eighty-four thousand idols in the image of Jizo, god of pilgrims and children.

Jomyo-in Temple

Tucked between the Yanaka cemetery and Kaneiji temple in Ueno Park, Jomyo-in's plot is recognizable by its thousands of stone statuettes.

Hanazono Jinja Shrine

Hidden between the skyscrapers of Shinjuku and close to the nightlife district of Kabukicho, the discreet sanctuary Hanazono Jinja Shrine invites for full meditation in the metropolis.

The sanctuaireHie-Jinja is dedicated to Oyamakui-no-kami, the guardian of the mountain and protector of the city of Tokyo.

Hie-Jinja Shrine

Leaning against a hill between the buildings of Akasaka, Hie Jinja has an soothing atmosphere for overworked employees and disoriented travelers.

Located in Ueno Park since 1627 sancutaire Tosho-gu is dedicated to the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616).

Tosho-gu Shrine

A discreet Shinto Shrine in Ueno Park, Toshogu has the distinction of having resisted the multiple upheavals Tokyo has suffered over the centuries.

The Gotoku-ji temple has been built by using a cat that would have saved the life of a noble. Since the manekineko is one of Japan FIG.

Gotoku-ji temple

The center of Tokyo moves away, the sky get bigger, houses replace the tall buildings, and the commuter train slowly empties of its passengers.

The Yasukuni Jinja in Tokyo is located in an environment dedicated to the History of the war in Japan.

Yasukuni Shrine

At the heart of an arrangement of memorial buildings forsoldiers who died for the emperor, the Yasukuni Jinja seems so peaceful and yet...

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Mitsumine Shrine

Mitsumine Shrine: read a travel guide to Mitsumine Shrine in the Chichibu area of Saitama Prefecture where people prayed to the wolf kami to protect them from fire and thieves during the Edo Period

Tokyo Top 10 Temples & Shrines

Tokyo Top 10 Temples & Shrines: see a listing of the best 10 Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples to see on a visit to Tokyo, Japan.

Nezu Shrine Tokyo

Nezu Shrine: read a guide to Nezu Shrine in Bunkyo ward in Tokyo, an historic shrine famous for its azalea festival in May.

Toyokawa Inari Akasaka

Toyokawa Inari Temple Akasaka is a fascinating mix of Buddhist and Shinto in Tokyo's Akasaka district.

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Tennoji Temple Tokyo

Tennoji Temple: read a guide to Tennoji Temple in the Yanaka district of Taito ward, Tokyo.

Gokokuji Temple Tokyo

Gokokuji Temple Tokyo: read a guide to Gokokuji Temple an historic Shingon sect temple in Bunkyo ward, Tokyo founded in 1681 and known for its cherry trees.

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Yushima Seido

Yushima Seido: read a guide to Yushima Seido in Yushima, Tokyo, an historic Confucian temple and training school for Tokugawa-era officials.

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Yushima Tenjin

Yushima Tenjin Shrine: read a guide to Yushima Tenjin Shrine in Ueno, Tokyo, famous as a shrine for scholars.

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Kawasaki Daishi Temple

Kawasaki Daishi Temple: read a guide to Kawasaki Daishi Temple, Kawasaki City's most famous tourist site, commemorating the founder of Shingon Buddhism in Japan, the priest Kukai.