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Tag: Shrines & temples

By Jonelle Patrick Posted on January 1, 2020January 13, 2021

How to shrine and temple in Japan

Shrines and temples aren’t just for snapping nice pix – there’s serious specialized goodness to be gotten from throwing a coin to the proper powers-that-be! Here’s how to take advantage … Continue reading How to shrine and temple in Japan

Categories: How to..., Traditional JapanTags: How to..., Shrines & temples
By Jonelle Patrick Posted on January 1, 2020January 13, 2021

Shrine or temple? The Quickie Guide

You’re craning your neck to see some gorgeous gold-leafed carving, and suddenly you’re overcome with traveler joy. “Isn’t this the most gorgeous…?” Uh oh. Shrine or temple? Because you know … Continue reading Shrine or temple? The Quickie Guide

Categories: Travel hacksTags: How to..., shrine, Shrines & temples, temple, Travel hacks
By Jonelle Patrick Posted on October 1, 2019January 13, 2021

Gokoku-ji Temple

Gokoku-ji is one of my favorite temples, because it’s home to the best graveyard, the best cats, and two of the strangest shrines in Tokyo. First, let’s go see the … Continue reading Gokoku-ji Temple

Categories: Shrines & temples, Traditional JapanTags: Gokukuji temple, Shrines & temples
By Jonelle Patrick Posted on July 23, 2017January 13, 2021

Akihabara Area

Akihabara is all about maid cafés, cosplay supply stores & all things electronic. It’s where the new, newer, newest of electronics, household goods (like smart toilet seats) and everything J-pop is sold. Akiba … Continue reading Akihabara Area

Categories: Neighborhoods, New JapanTags: entertainment, Only-in-Japan shopping, Shrines & temples
By Jonelle Patrick Posted on July 23, 2017January 13, 2021

Asakusa Area

  This is where I often take people on their first day in Tokyo. It’s everything you think Japan should be – traditional festivals, a secret garden, temples & more. … Continue reading Asakusa Area

Categories: Neighborhoods, Traditional JapanTags: Asakusa, garden, museum, Shrines & temples
By Jonelle Patrick Posted on July 23, 2017January 13, 2021

Hasedera Temple

Kamakura is stuffed with entertaining shrines and temples, but this is the only one with a hillside of gorgeous hydrangeas, a thirty-foot-tall Kannon figure covered in gold, and a candle-lit … Continue reading Hasedera Temple

Categories: ExcursionsTags: beyond Tokyo, day trip, Kamakura, Shrines & temples
By Jonelle Patrick Posted on July 23, 2017January 13, 2021

Kamakura Day Trip

Let’s get out of Tokyo for a day, and see some of the most entertaining shrines and temples in Japan. First, let’s go to the Zeni-Arai Benten Shrine and double our money. … Continue reading Kamakura Day Trip

Categories: Excursions, Neighborhoods, Shrines & temples, Traditional JapanTags: beyond Tokyo, day trip, Kamakura, Shrines & temples
By Jonelle Patrick Posted on July 23, 2017January 13, 2021

Kanda Myōjin Shrine

Sure, Kanda Myōjin is a gorgeous red and gold shrine, but the best part is that this is the place where comic book artists and anime auteurs come to pray … Continue reading Kanda Myōjin Shrine

Categories: Shrines & templesTags: Akihabara, Shrines & temples
By Jonelle Patrick Posted on July 23, 2017January 13, 2021

Kudanshita Area

This neighborhood is home to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine and the magnificent Imperial Palace moat. From an extensive World War II museum to spectacular seasonal festivals, this area is also boasts … Continue reading Kudanshita Area

Categories: Neighborhoods, Traditional JapanTags: Imperial Palace, Kudanshita, Shrines & temples
By Jonelle Patrick Posted on July 23, 2017January 13, 2021

Meiji Shrine

The Meiji Shrine has the most spectacular weddings, coming-of-age ceremonies, festivals and traditional events in town. Many people find it more beautiful than all the brightly lacquered shrines put together. This … Continue reading Meiji Shrine

Categories: Gardens, Shrines & templesTags: Harajuku, Omotesando, Shrines & temples, Yoyogi Park
By Jonelle Patrick Posted on July 23, 2017January 13, 2021

Monzen-nakacho Area

This Old Tokyo shitamachi neighborhood has a temple where we can watch a fire ceremony with taiko drums, a dragon fountain that grants wishes written on dissolving paper, and is one of the most … Continue reading Monzen-nakacho Area

Categories: Neighborhoods, Traditional JapanTags: entertainment, Monzen-nakacho, Shrines & temples
By Jonelle Patrick Posted on July 23, 2017January 13, 2021

Mt. Takao Area

At Mt. Takao, you can go hiking, monkey-viewing, beer drinking & firewalking just an hour from Tokyo. Hours of cable car/chairlift to the top:8:00 – 21:15. (Note: These change seasonally. Detailed info about first … Continue reading Mt. Takao Area

Categories: ExcursionsTags: Mt. Takao, outer Tokyo, Shrines & temples
By Jonelle Patrick Posted on July 23, 2017January 13, 2021

Yanaka Area

Yanaka is one of the best, undiscovered, Old Tokyo neighborhoods in town, filled with traditional shops and excellent shrines and temples. Let’s start at the Nezu Shrine, which is my … Continue reading Yanaka Area

Categories: Neighborhoods, Traditional JapanTags: Nezu, Only-in-Japan shopping, Sendagi, Shrines & temples, Yanaka
By Jonelle Patrick Posted on July 23, 2017January 13, 2021

Nishiarai-Daishi Temple

This off-the-beaten-path temple is famous for its peony gardens (April) and its wart-curing shrine, but it’s also a great place for seasonal festivals and markets that are not at all … Continue reading Nishiarai-Daishi Temple

Categories: Shrines & templesTags: Nishiarai-daishi, outer Tokyo, Shrines & temples
By Jonelle Patrick Posted on July 23, 2017January 13, 2021

Sengaku-ji Temple

You know the story of the 47 ronin? The samurai who avenged their lord, then were all ordered to commit ritual suicide? Well, this is the temple where they’re actually … Continue reading Sengaku-ji Temple

Categories: Shrines & temples, Traditional JapanTags: museum, Sengaku-ji, Shrines & temples
By Jonelle Patrick Posted on July 23, 2017January 13, 2021

Yasukuni Shrine

  This is a gorgeous, lively, maddeningly nationalistic, must-see Imperial shrine. If you follow Japanese news at all, every year you’ll hear about the Yasukuni Shrine. It’s the place where … Continue reading Yasukuni Shrine

Categories: Museums, Shrines & templesTags: Imperial Palace, Kudanshita, museum, Shrines & temples
By Jonelle Patrick Posted on July 23, 2017January 13, 2021

Yushima Shrine

I love the Yushima shrine because it’s beautiful, and hosts some of the most stunning seasonal festivals in all of Tokyo. If you’re in Tokyo in March of November, the plum blossom … Continue reading Yushima Shrine

Categories: Neighborhoods, Shrines & templesTags: Shrines & temples, Ueno, Yushima
By Jonelle Patrick Posted on February 23, 2017January 13, 2021

Zojo-ji Temple

I never get tired of visiting the avenues of Zojo-ji’s lovely, colorful Jizo figures with their spinning pinwheels. Zojo-ji Temple is also the site of seven shoguns’ graves and a fine place to … Continue reading Zojo-ji Temple

Categories: Shrines & templesTags: Daimon, Kamiya-cho, Shrines & temples

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