World Heritage Shrines and Temples of Nikko
A few weeks ago, I returned to Nikko to visit the shrines and temples of central Nikko, which are on UNESCO’s list of Word Heritage Sites.
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Azalea Festival at Shiofune Kannon-ji Temple in Ome
While I was in the Ome area, I went to see the azalea festival at Shiofune Kannon-ji Temple (塩船観音寺). The temple is surrounded by a huge azalea garden with a giant statue of Kannon watching over it.
Hakuunsan Torii Kannon
Last week, I went on a hike that started from Naguri Village, in Hanno City (Saitama Prefecture). While researching the path, I learned about the Hakuunsan Torii Kannon (白雲山 鳥居観音). It is a large park built on a mountain in Naguri, with multiple temples and monuments, the most impressive of which is the white Dai-Kannon (救世大観音 ; Guze Dai-Kannon). At 33m, it is a large statue of Kannon that can be seen from quite far. Like at the Tokyo Wan Kannon, it is even possible to climb to the head (but it was not open yet when I was there).
Kamakura Hiking Trails part 3: Daibutsu Hiking Course
After the Tenen Hiking Course and Kencho-ji Temple (see part 2), I walked directly to Jocho-ji Temple, where the Daibutsu Hiking Course trailhead is located. This trail goes to the most famous sight in Kamakura: The Daibutsu (Great Buddha) statue at Kotoku-in Temple. It also passes through Genjiyama Park and near the Zeniarai-Benzaiten Shrine.
Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine / Egara Tenjin Shrinexa0/ Kamakura-gu Shrine / Zuisen-ji Temple
Kamakura is famous for its large number of buddhist temples and shinto shrines. The biggest is the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine (鶴岡八幡宮), located at the center of town. It is dedicated to Hachiman. On the same day, I also visited Egara Tenjin Shrine, Kamakura-gu Shrine and Zuisen-ji Temple (which I had already visited earlier).
Kamakura Hiking Trails part 2: Tenen Hiking Course
After the Gionyama Hiking Course (see part 1) and visiting Zuisen-ji Temple, I made my way to the trailhead of the Tenen Hiking Course, which goes to Kencho-ji Temple, in Kita-Kamakura.
Kamakura Hiking Trails part 1: Gionyama Hiking Course
Kamakura is surrounded by the ocean in the south and by wooded hills in all other directions. Attractive hiking trails lead through the woods along these hills and connect Kamakura’s numerous temples and shrines. It is possible to walk them all in one go, starting and ending at train stations.
Nakizumo (Crying Baby Sumo) at Senso-ji Temple
On Saturday, I went to Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa to watch a nakizumo ceremony. During the event, babies held by sumo wrestlers face each other in a mock sumo game, two at a time. A referee shouts “Nake, Nake” (“Cry, Cry”) at them and the baby who then cries the loudest is declared the winner. If no baby cries inside of 1 minute, referees will use demon masks to try to scare the babies. The ceremony is religious and has its root in the belief that crying brings good health to the babies and scares evil spirits. It has been going on for 400 years and there are similar events (with different rules) in many places in Japan. I took a few pictures but my zoom is not very powerful. This page has more close-up shots of the event.
Todoroki Valley / Todoroki Fudo Temple
Todoroki Valley is a park in Setagaya City, Tokyo. It features a pedestrian path in a forested ravine along a river. The Todoroki Fudo Temple is at the southern end of the park.
Gotoku-ji Temple in Setagaya
Gotoku-ji is a buddhist temple in Setagaya City, Tokyo. Its claim to fame is that this is supposedly where the maneki neko dolls (beckoning cat) were first used, as an offering by worshipers to show their gratitude when their wishes became true.