Get expert advice on where to stay and what to do in Japan. Find the best hotels, top attractions, must try food and shopping destinations in Japan.
Get expert advice on where to stay and what to do in Japan. Find the best hotels, top attractions, must try food and shopping destinations in Japan.
To break down Shintoism, it is good to understand the breakdown of religion in Japan. The Japanese word for religion is shukyo (宗教しゅうきょう) which breaks down to the character 宗 orsectand 教 orteaching. In words like Bukkyou (仏教ぶっきょう/Buddhism) or Kurisutokyo (クリスト教...
Geographically, therainy season isn’t typical in Hokkaido, the northernmost prefecture in Japan. The reason for this is that the rain clouds, or the seasonal rain front which take over Japan’s sky, get weaker as they move to the north of the country, so Hokkaido doesn’t have the long...
Fushimi Inari Shrine is famous for it’s 10,000 gates but really there are over 32,000 gates and sub-gates called torii in Japanese. One could even say it’s a gateway to more gates! You walk through one and there’s another. When you thought you walked through them all, there are...
in central Tokyo. This Shinto shrine is dedicated to the spirits of those who died for Japan during wars and conflicts, and has strong ties to the Japanese Imperial family. This makes it both a place of worship and a war memorial of sorts, something that tourists should find quite ...
Because transportation in Japan is suitable, you can get into Kyoto from anywhere, with a train or bus the ideal vehicle, or arriving by car on the fantastic roads in excellent condition. Generally, peopletravel from Osaka to Kyotoor even Kansai International Airport, about half an hour from ...
A 45-minute drive north of Beppu and located within a primeval forest, this is one of Japan’s most important Shinto shrines (pictured above). Pass through the large vermilion torii gate and take your time to explore the vast and vibrant complex of great halls dedicated to the god Hachiman...
Nikko (日光, Nikkō) is a town at the entrance to Nikko National Park, most famous forToshogu, Japan's most lavishly decoratedshrineand the mausoleum ofTokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate. Nikko had been a center ofShintoandBuddhistmountain worship for many centuries before ...
Tokyodoes not lack for shrines, but Nezu, northwest of Ueno Park, is an underrated destination. Built in 1705, it is one of the city’s oldest Shinto shrines and has a red torii gate path similar to the one atKyoto’s famedFushimi Inari. Nezu Shrine is best known for its Azalea Sprin...