Historical Place

A celebration of the birthday of the enshrined deity of Togo Shrine will take place on Dec. 22. ADDRESS:1-5-3 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo ACCESS: a 5-min walk from JR Harajuku Station.

Original surviving Japanese castles are a rarity. Only a dozen retain their original keeps, though there are many more that lie in ruins or have been reconstructed. Beyond the castles, however, many historic castle...

Japan is a land of castles, some like Himeji Castle, which is also registered as World Heritage. But to see the country's most visited castle, you'll have to travel all the way down to Okinawa, for a...

A display of Japanese lights Meguro Gajoen is Tokyo's longest-running wedding venue, and one of the most gorgeous, too. Its resemblance to the bathhouse of Ghibli Studio's "Spirited Away" has often been pointed out, and we...

A sacred shrine you reach by escalator Presiding over a steep slope in the middle of Tokyo, the Hie Shrine is probably Japan's most urban shrine. Located in Nagatacho of the Chiyoda Ward,  the shrine is surrounded by a...

Gion, one of the symbols of Kyoto, was founded in the Middle Ages in front of the Yasaka-jinja Shrine. It is a brilliant geisha district located on both sides of the Kamo-gawa River. The...

Kyoto has many temples and shrines that are famous in Japan and all over the world. But there are many interesting temples that do not appear on the classic tourist routes because they are...

In central Kyoto is a small temple called Mibu Dera with a somewhat special link to Nishi-Honganji. During the late 19th century both places housed, for a short time, the now famous special police...

Simultaneously valuing traditions and welcoming the new What exactly does religion mean in Japan? What is Shinto and how important is it to the Japanese? Never during my 10 years in Japan did I ask myself...

Japan Map of Fall Foliage Kansai Kyoto 25 Genko-an Temple (源光庵) in Kyoto First colors: Beginning of November Color Peak: Middle of November Hours: 9am – 5pm Admission: 400 yen (adults) , 200 yen (Children) Access: 15min bus ride...