Tag: buddhist temple
Tofuku-ji Temple: Mirei’s Modernism in the Heart of Kyoto
Japan's abundance of breathtaking gardens makes it a promised land for plant lovers and landscapers alike. The problem is, which gardens should take priority when you only have limited time in the country? Tofuku-ji temple's gardens aren't Kyoto's largest or oldest, but...
Hozan-ji Temple: in the Mountains of Ikoma, Nara’s Hidden Wonder.
Hozan-ji is in many ways the embodiment of a perfect Japanese experience, in miniature. The otherworldly mountain temple complex is largely unknown to foreign tourists and seldom crowded by local visitors outside of the spring/autumn peak seasons. If you feel like riding...
Daihikaku Senkoji: The Best Views in Arashiyama!
It won't surprise anybody to learn that Kyoto is becoming the centre of tourist activity in Japan. Kyoto is a small, safe and affordable city, with more culture per square mile than anyone can handle in a one-week visit. However, the well-received...
The Oldest Things to See in Tokyo: Ultimate Guide
While the historic aspects of Tokyo aren’t as immediately obvious as in some other Japanese cities, there’s plenty to see if you do a bit of digging. From old town areas (also known as Shitamachi) such as the Yanesen District to historic...
Zenkoji Temple, The Heart and Soul of Nagano City
Japan, like many other countries, has its own indigenous nature-based religion: Shinto. These prehistoric practices involve worshipping the kami who inhabit trees, waterfalls, mountains, objects and even ancestors. While Shinto served Japan well for a very long...
Late Night Fortune Telling At Sensoji Temple
Founded in 645, Senso-ji is the oldest temple in Tokyo—and with 30 million visitors per year, it’s also one of the busiest. What is meant to be a spiritual exercise can quickly become one of trying to...
Things To Do (And Eat) in Nagano City
The main hall of Zenkoji Temple
As a mountainous prefecture dotted with small towns, an internet search for “things to do in Nagano” can bring up quite a geographical spread. And with ski resorts, onsen towns, historic districts...
Sofukuji Temple: Nagasaki’s Ming Dynasty Jewel
Ryugumon (Gate of the Dragon Palace)
Visiting Nagasaki, you’ll quickly see that it’s a very different kind of Japanese city. The centuries-old influences from China and Europe still remain as much a part of the cultural and physical...
The Mystical Taya Caves at Josen-ji Temple, Yokohama
Kanagawa Prefecture is Tokyo’s southern neighbour and home to some of the most popular day-trip locations, like the lively Yokohama and the spiritual sea-side towns of Kamakura and Enoshima. But with this notoriety inevitably comes the tourist crowds. For those looking for...
Daru-madness at О̄saka’s Katsuōji Temple.
Thousands of 'used' Daruma? Welcome to the mountain temple of Katsuō-ji.
One could say with confidence that the temple of Katsuō-ji could be classed as an 'under the radar' type of location. When people...
