As I mentioned in Friday’s post, Tonosawa Station is a tiny stop on the Hakone Tozan Railway between Hakone-Yumoto and Gora. For most people, the station is either a one-minute stop where the train takes on new passengers before continuing its run up the mountain or else a place to disembark and head for one of the nearby ryokan. However, Tonosawa Station also has a lovely secret–a Shintō shrine called Tonosawa Fukazawa Zeniarai Benten, that sits just off the train tracks on the “uphill” side of Tonosawa Station. In the photo below, the entrance to the shrine is just to the left
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Kanda Myojin – the Tutelary Shrine of Edo
Kanda Jinja (also known as Kanda Myojin) is one of Tokyo’s oldest Shintō shrines. Founded in 730, the shrine was originally located in Chiyoda-ku, near the Imperial palace; it was moved to its current location in 1603, when Tokugawa Ieyasu moved the Japanese capital from Kyoto to Edo (now Tokyo). The shrine’s entrance is unassuming–in fact, you could easily miss it if you didn’t know what you were looking for. The torii that marks the official approach stands on a downtown street, between a pair of buildings. The shrine’s main entrance gate sits just beyond the torii. If you visit, don’t rush past the
Read moreStairs to the Summit: Musashi-Mitake Shrine
(Click here to start from Part 1 of this series on hiking Mount Mitake.) High atop Mount Mitake, northwest of Tokyo, Musashi-Mitake Shrine offers gorgeous views of Chichibu Tama-Kai National Park, home to a number of sacred peaks (including Mitake). The entrance to the shrine looks much like many other Shintō holy places, with a purification fountain: and a torii marking the formal entry to the sacred space: Carved stone lanterns (toro) and ceremonial stones flank the flight of steep stone stairs leading up to the shrine’s main gate. On the day I visited, cool breezes fluttered the flags beside the stairs. Although the clouds obscured my view of
Read moreTo the Summit of Fushimi Inari Shrine
The walk to the summit of Inariyama (Mount Inari) takes between 45 minutes and 2 hours, depending on your personal fitness, pace, and whether or not you choose to stop for lunch or tea along the way.
Read moreThe Mountain Subshrines of Fushimi Inari
Numerous sub-shrines line the slopes of Fushimi Inari Shrine, many with teahouses and restauarants as well as shrines, offering visitors a chance to stop for rest and refreshment as well as offerings and prayers.
Read moreThe Path of 1,000 Torii (Fushimi Inari, Part 3)
(Click here to start the series from the beginning.) Near the base of Mount Inari (Inariyama), past the stairs that lead from the Hondo (worship hall) to the path that climbs the sacred mountain, lies the famous “Path of a Thousand Torii” – a tunnel made of sacred gates that has become a familiar, iconic image of Japan: At the start of the path, enormous torii tower twenty and thirty feet high, dwarfing visitors. Inside the path, the gates are placed so close together that the light takes on an orange hue:
Read moreVisiting Fushimi Inari, Part 2
Fushimi Inari Taisha is one of Kyoto’s loveliest, and most famous, Shintō shrines.
Read moreA Visit to Fushimi Inari – Part 1
Many Shintō shrines in Japan have subshrines dedicated to Inari. In fact, the country has more than 10,000 Inari shrines of various sizes. However, Fushimi Inari Taisha, just south of Kyoto, is the largest and most spectacular.
Read moreA Visit to Kyoto’s Yasaka Jinja
Originally known as “Gion Shrine,” Yasaka Jinja is located near the eastern end of Shijo Dori (Shijō Road), one of Kyoto’s major streets–and a road that often features in my Hiro Hattori mystery novels.
Read moreOkuninushi-no-Mikoto, Japanese God of Love (& Good Matches)
Given that February 14 is Valentine’s Day in the United States, today seemed like a good opportunity to share a little about Okuninushi-no-mikoto, patron god of love in the Shinto pantheon.
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