Postcard from Japan - Tokyo part 2
There was so much to share from Tokyo that I thought I would break it into two posts.
Part 2 is all about temples, shrines, and a little extra architecture too.
I was encouraged from a young age to be curious about religion and spirituality. I always had so many questions for the priests and my Catholic school teachers. I started to learn more about Buddhism in the 8th grade. I really wanted to visit as many Buddhist Temples and Shinto Shrines as we could. Next time, I hope to do a temple stay, more tours, and meditations at some of the less busy ones we found.
Temples and Shrines we visited:
This was one of my favorite shrines it was right by our train stop so I would stop in the morning or evenings almost every day to give an offering and say a prayer. One of the days it was so clear out we could even see Mt. Fuji from the shrine.
If you are not familiar with etiquette at Shinto shrines and are planning a trip here's an easy guide for Japanese shrine etiquette
This shrine was less crowded and surrounded by a beautiful sacred forest. This ancient shrine is said to have been founded over 1,900 years ago in Sendagi by Yamato Takeru.
Gojo Tenjin and Hanazano Inari Shrines
These shrines are in Ueno Park where we went for the annual Ueno Sakura festival. A few trees were blooming, but we were a little early for the full bloom. We wandered through an antique market, the park, the different shrine grounds, and enjoyed some delicious street food from the vendors set up for the festival.
Gojotenjinsha is a historical shrine within Ueno Park that enshrines the gods of medicine and pharmacy. Surrounded by lush greenery, it offers a quiet atmosphere that soothes the heart.
Another beautiful shrine inside Ueno Park that has been there since 1627.
Ueno Kanei-ji was established in 1625 as a Tendai Buddhist temple. In traditional Japanese customs and thought, there's a direction called "Kimon" through which inauspicious energy is believed to enter easily. Ueno Kanei-ji was built to seal off the Kimon to the northeast of Edo Castle and protect the Tokugawa family.
Shitaya Shrine
Shitaya Shrine, founded in 730, is the oldest shrine in Tokyo. It's believed to bring good fortune in business and family safety, and is still deeply loved by local people.
This is one of the main shrines I've seen on most Tokyo itineraries. I was worried it would be too crowded for me, but the grounds were so large we were able to wander freely and find quiet spaces. While we were there, a couple of weddings were happening, which were so beautiful to see.
This shrine was on the other side of Yoyogi Park, not far from Meiji Jingu. It was a lot quieter and it was one of my favorite shrines we visited. It was in a beautiful forest with a variety of different trees. There was an archaeological excavation in 1950 where they found pottery, tools, and a Jomon period dwelling showing history of people gathering at this spot at least 5,000 years ago.
We stopped here on our way to the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum. It's near the Ghibli museum. The train you take there is a manekineko train which was so fun.
I loved seeing and learning about the different omamori, o-mikuji, and ema at the shrines and temples we visited. Here's a photo of some of the ones I brought home.
Architecture tour:
When your boyfriend is an architect, you get to look at buildings in a new way. Ben went to Japan with enough buildings to visit for a trip in itself. But here are a few we did get to see.
Prada Aoyama by Herzog & de Meuron
Nezu Museum by Kengo Kuma and Associates
Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum
