Tokyo's Temples and Shrines
Japan has some of the most beautiful temples and shrines I’ve ever seen. And I was able to visit three of them during my time in Tokyo.
The first one that I went to is the Senso-ji temple on Asakusa street. It is an ancient buddhist temple, and is the oldest one in Tokyo. Also on the grounds are the five story pagoda and the Asakusa shrine. I went in the middle of the day which is a bad idea if you are trying to avoid the crowds
Even with all the crowds, this temple is beautiful. I went during cherry blossom season, and it was even more magical. You fist walk in and you see the beautiful architecture of the temple and pagoda on the left. On the right of the temple is a little pathway to the the Asakusa shrine. This shrine was built in 1649 to honor the three men who established and built the Senso-ji. It is much smaller than the temple, however it felt more quaint because only a small amount of tourists entered the courtyard. But if Senso-ji is on your list, definitely come early to beat some of the crowds.
The next shrine I visited is the Meiji Jingu Shrine located in Shibuya, Tokyo. This Shinto shrine was dedicated to the defied spirits of Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shoken. This shrine felt way more peaceful to visit. It was a nice break from the hustling Tokyo. Even with all of the tourists it was very tranquil. It could be due to the fact that the shrine is in a forest that covers 170 acres.
The Imperial wooden torii gate.
If you look at the top of the torii, you can see three Chrysanthemum Seals. These are the seal of the Emperor of Japan. A stamp from the Emperor is the ultimate status. One thing is for sure, this torii gate is massive. You just have to come here yourself to appreciate the size.
Kazaridaru line one of the pathways to the shrine. Kazaridaru are these colorful barrels of sake. Traditionally the people of Japan had a special connection with the gods and sake. So to bring honor to the gods they would donate these barrels of sake.
And lastly, I visited the Nezu Jinja shrine another shinto shrine, located in the Bunkyo ward of Tokyo. This one I had heard, had a lot of red torii gates. Which is why I put it on the list. This shrine was Established in 1705 making it one of the oldest places of worship in the city.
Like I said, I wanted to see some torii gates. And it is probably the closest to the red torii gate path in Kyoto, that you’ll see in Tokyo. And I’m glad I did. I arrived near sunset, and was nearly alone at the shrine. I think it is one of the lesser known shrines in Tokyo, and I’m glad I didn’t miss it. The grounds are not as large as the Meiji, but felt just as tranquil if not more so.
So those were three of the temples and shrines I visited while in Tokyo. There are over ninety thousand temples and shrines in all of Japan so it would be impossible to see them all. I'm curious, do any of these three make your list?
