Hakusan Jinja (白山神社) is a shinto shrine in Bunkyo, Tokyo. It is especially popular in early June when it holds its annual Bunkyo Hydrangea Festival (文京あじさいまつり). I was too early for the best viewing but there were still a few flowers (and a lot of cats) when I visited.
The Harajuku/Aoyama area is a popular shopping and entertainment district in Tokyo. There are also shrines and a lot of high-end residences.
After eating ramen, I was walking at random and taking pictures in Ikebukuro. Next thing I knew, I was on a pilgrimage through the temples in the area, ending at Gokoku-ji in Bunkyo.
Gojoten Jinja (五条天神社) is a shinto shrine located inside Ueno Park. It holds its annual festival in May. In 2014, it was at the same time as the Yushima Tenmangu shrine festival: I was walking away from that festival when I saw another mikoshi parade just across Chuo Dori.
Yushima Tenmangu (湯島天満宮), also known as Yushima Tenjin (湯島天神), is a shinto shrine in Bunkyo, not far from Ueno Park. It holds its annual festival in May.
Takuzousu Inari Engi (澤蔵司稲荷 縁起) is a shrine (with some buddhist influence) in Koishikawa (Bunkyo).
Hanazono Jinja (花園神社) is a shinto shrine in Shinjuku, right next to Kabukicho. It holds its annual festival in May. As usual in Japanese festivals, there are many food and game stalls on the grounds of the shrine, while the mikoshi are paraded around the neighbourhood.
Meiji Shrine (明治神宮; Meiji Jingu) is a shrine dedicated to Emperor Meiji and his consort, Empress Shoken. It is located near Yoyogi Park. I visited it in January, on the same day as the Coming of Age day (成人の日; Seijin-no-Hi).
Sanja Matsuri is a festival held in Asakusa every year in May. It celebrates the three people involved in the creation of Senso-ji and later enshrined as Shinto kami in Asakusa Shrine, next to the temple. It is one of the biggest festivals in Tokyo, with about 100 mikoshi (portable shrines) paraded around the neighbourhood.
In May, I went to Maebashi City in Gunma Prefecture, north of Tokyo, in order to visit Mount Akagi (赤城山). There is no actual peak named “Mount Akagi”: It refers to the whole mountain range in the area. Its best-known attractions are Akagi Shrine, Lake Onuma (大沼) and Mount Kurobi (黒檜山). While I was there, I took a series of trails going through some of the peaks surrounding the lake. This page can serve as a reference (although it differs a bit from what I did).
25 randonnées autour du Lac d’Annecy
40 Songs for Toy Xylophones: Color-coded
40 Partitions pour Xylophone à 8 Notes
44 spartiti per xilofono a 8 note
47 Lieder für Glockenspiele mit 8 Tönen
45 partituras para xilófono de 8 notas
35 Partitions pour Xylophone à 8 notes
12 Partitions pour Xylophone & Métallophone à 8 Barres
