Tag: temple
Art, Tranquility, and Synth-playing Monks at Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple
Kyoto’s beauty and charm cannot be denied. However, it has led to a rather serious case of overtourism, so much so that in order to disperse traffic, the Government has now begun promoting more off-the-beaten-track destinations previously untapped by tourists. While Arashiyama...
Sakura Jingu Shrine: Pretty in Pink Cherry Blossoms and Ribbons
There are plenty of places to see cherry blossoms in Tokyo, but Setagaya’s Sakura Jingu Shrine has a unique edge: ribbons. Visitors to this small shrine can purchase pink ribbons from the shrine office before filling them...
Tenku no Torii: Kawaguchiko’s Torii in the Sky
If you’re looking for breathtaking Mount Fuji views while in Kawaguchiko, perhaps you’ve come across Tenku no torii (torii in the sky) in your research. And, if you’re one to delve into Google reviews, you’ll also know it’s quite a polarising attraction....
Follow Arashiyama’s Kimono Forest to a Relaxing Foot bath
Arashiyama is perhaps best known for its Bamboo Grove, but there's another forest by the station that’s eye-catching in an altogether different way. During renovations of the Arashiyama Randen Station in 2013, artist Yasumichi Morita was tasked with creating an art installation...
A Day Trip To Shibamata: Tokyo’s Magical Retro Hood
Spend a few days exploring Tokyo and you’ll start to get a sense of its enormity. For every neon-lit neighbourhood, there’s an old-fashioned counterpart across town, bustling in its own special way. A visit to a ‘Shitamachi’ (downtown) pocket has a way...
Choraku-ji and Anyo-ji: Hidden in the Hills, Lost in Time.
Kyoto is abundant in micro-temples which atmospherically melt into forests and hills. Naturally, they're a perfect antidote to the more popular and all too often overcrowded temples and shrines in the city. Two such temples in Kyoto city lie hidden in Higashiyama's...
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...
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...
Hillside Delights and Giant Buddhas at Hasedera Temple, Kamakura
Ah, Kamakura. The historic seaside town brimming with ancient wonder. Though it's perhaps best known for the Giant Buddha (Daibutsu) at Kōtoku-in, there are plenty of other impressive attractions in Kamakura. For example, the Hasedera Temple, only minutes away, perched on a...
Zōjōji Temple, underneath Tokyo Tower, is full of great local history!
If you’re only going to visit a few religious sites in Tokyo, put Zōjōji Temple on the list. For the devout, it holds importance as the main temple of the Jōdo-shū Chinzei sect of Buddhism in the Kantō region. For everyone else,...
