Musashi-Mitake Shrine
Musashi-Mitake Shrine (武蔵御嶽神社) is the shinto shrine sitting at the top of Mount Mitake. On May 7th and 8th, it will hold its annual Hinode (Sunrise) Festival.
shinto
Yanagimori Shrine near Akibahara
Yanagimori Shrine is a shinto shrine located across the Kanda River from Akibahara. It is dedicated to the tanuki (Japanese racoon dog), often pictured with enormous testicles.
Bunkyo Azalea Festival at Nezu Shrine
The Bunkyo Azalea Festival is currently taking place at Nezu Shrine. Its garden contains more than 3,000 azalea plants.
Ceremonial sumo tournament at Yasukuni Shrine
Every spring, a ceremonial one-day sumo tournament called Honozumo is held on the grounds of Yasukuni Shrine. Entrance is free.
Hatonomori Hachiman Shrine in Sendagaya
Hatonomori Hachiman Shrine is a shinto shrine in Sendagaya, Shibuya City. Its distinguishing feature is its Fujizuka, called the Sendagaya Fuji. Fujizuka are small mounds that represent Mount Fuji. Fuji worshipers who are unable to do a pilgrimage to the top of Mount Fuji can use one of those instead. There are many other such Fujizuka in Tokyo (for example, at Shinagawa Shrine or Onoterusaki Shrine in Iriya).
Kanamara Matsuri (Festival of the Steel Phallus) in Kawasaki
The Kanamara Matsuri (かなまら祭り, “Festival of the Steel Phallus”), aka the Penis Festival, is a shinto festival celebrating fertility, long marriages and healthy births. It is held each spring at the Kanayama Shrine (金山神社) in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, just south of Tokyo. The penis, as the central theme of the event, is reflected in illustrations, candy, carved vegetables, decorations, and a mikoshi parade.
Fushimi Inari Shrine
On my last day in Kyoto, I went to the Fushimi Inari Shrine (伏見稲荷大社, Fushimi Inari Taisha). It is an important Shinto shrine in southern Kyoto, famous for its thousands of red torii gates along a series of trails that go from the base of Mount Inari to the summit.
Chrysanthemum Festival at Yushima Tenjin Shrine
The kiku (chrysanthemum) is not only the ‘imperial flower’ of Japan but it’s also one of the symbolic flowers of autumn. There are many festivals celebrating the flower in Tokyo. The 35th Chrysanthemum Matsuri of Yushima Tenjin (near Ueno Park) took place last November.
Nezu Shrine Festival
I attended a matsuri (Japanese festival) at the Nezu Shrine last week-end. It featured stalls with greasy food and games for children but the main event was the presentation of the mikoshi, a portable shinto shrine that looks like a miniature building.