shinto shrines – Susan Spann, Adventure, Mystery, and Mountains

Egrets! and Meiji Shrine

Susan Spann Blog January 3, 2022January 1, 2022egrets, Japan, Japanese history, Meiji Jingu, Meiji Shrine, shinto shrines, Tokyo

A few weeks ago, I ran an errand in central Tokyo that took me within a short walk of Meiji Jingu (Meiji Shrine). Since I doubted the shrine would be busy on a weekday morning, I headed over for a visit. Meiji Jingu sits on 70 hectares of forested land in central Tokyo; the shrine was established in 1920, after the death of Emperor Meiji and his consort, Empress Shoken. Although the Emperor and Emperess are buried in Kyoto, they were posthumously enshrined at Meiji Jingu as protective Shintō deities. Emperor Meiji played a major role in the modernization (and

A Visit to Nezu Jinja, Part 2

Susan Spann Blog January 12, 2018January 14, 2018best shrines in Tokyo, Inari, Inari Okami, Japan, Nezu Jinja, Nezu Shrine, shinto shrines, Tokyo

(To read Part 1, click here.) Like many Shintō shrines in Japan, Nezu Jinja features a subshrine dedicated to Inari Ōkami, the kami (god) of foxes, rice, sake, fertility, swordsmiths, merchants, agriculture, and worldly success (among other things). There are over 10,000 Inari shrines across Japan — and with good reason, given Japan’s historical dependence upon rice as a primary source of food (and, at one time, as the measure of wealth as well).

A Visit to Nezu Jinja (Shrine), Part 1

Susan Spann Blog January 10, 2018January 10, 2018best shrines in Tokyo, Japan, Nezu Jinja, Nezu Shrine, Shinto, shinto shrines, Tokyo

Nezu Jinja lies in Tokyo’s Bunkyō ward, and has since Shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi ordered the shine moved to its current location in 1705. The shrine is perhaps best known for its extensive azalea garden, which erupt in color every April (there’s even an azalea festival at the shrine each spring), but I visited for the first time last December and can attest it’s worth a visit in any season.

Ootoyo Jinja – Kyoto’s Hidden Jewel

Admin Uncategorized December 18, 2015foxes, guardian mice, Inari shrines, Japan, Ootoyo Jinja, shinto shrines

I’d never heard of Ootoyo Jinja before I walked Kyoto’s famous philosopher’s path–and even then, I might have missed it easily had I not been in a curious mood. The shrine lies east of the path, marked only by a small wooden sign with an arrow pointing travelers in the right direction. Its unassuming entrance is marked by carved stone dogs whose mossy smiles reveal nothing about the nature of what lies beyond. Travel up a hill and through the torii gate that marks the entrance, and you’ll discover a hidden jewel–one of the most unique Shinto shrines in Kyoto. The shrine lies on the side of