Nikko Part 4

…. continued from Nikko Part 3 – Taiyuin Mausoleum.
The Rinnoji Temple contains three “gohonzon” shrines to which the faithful come to pray for the welfare of their families and the safety of the nation.  Pictured below is the Sanbutsudoh Hall (entrance fee of 400 yen) and the 13.2 meter high bronze Sohrintoh Tower.
 
 
Located [...]

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Nikko Part 3 – Taiyuin Mausoleum

… continued from Nikko Part 2 – Toshogu Shrine.
Taiyuin is a given title for the third successive Shogun Iemitsu Tokugawa.  Emperor Gokoumyou gave that designation to the mausoleum after the Iemitsu’s death. 
The concept of Taiyuin is different from Toshogu because Iemitsu hesitated to imitate the Toshogu Shrine.  The color of Toshogu Shrine is based on [...]

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Nikko Part 2 – Toshogu Shrine

… continued from Nikko Part 1 – Travel and Hotel.
Toshogu is any Shinto shrine in which Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the last shogunate of Japan, is enshrined.  Ieyasu’s son, the second shogun Hidetada, ordered the construction of the Toshogu Shrine in Nikko. 
One of the most popular tourist attractions in Nikko, the shrine’s entrance fee [...]

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Escalators in Japan

Like vending machines and convenience stores, escalators seem to be ubiquitous in modern Japan.
This is especially true in Tokyo, with its many multi-storied buildings with basements, and if you take public transportation, as you descend (and ascend) into the deep underground to ride on the many subway trains.  Pictured below is one of the many [...]

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Nikko Part 1 – Travel and Hotel

During this past Valentine’s weekend, we visited the town of Nikko, about 140 km north of Tokyo.  Located about 200 to 2,000 meters (for the surrounding mountainous regions) above sea level, Nikko is a popular destination for Japanese and tourists alike – it is very crowded during weekends, but especially during the cherry blossoms (spring), [...]

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Japan In The News: Hilary Clinton Visit to Japan

Hilary Clinton is visiting Japan this week.  This is her first overseas trip since assuming the post of US Secretary of State.  Lots of coverage in the news.

Daily News: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton causes stir with plan to meet with opposition leader in Japan
Reuters: Clinton calls for coordinated economic response
AP: Hilary Clinton begins Asia [...]

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Yushima Tenjin Shrine

Tokyo’s most famous shrine of scholars is the Yushima Tenjin (or Yushima Tenmangu) Shrine. This ancient Shinto shrine was founded in 458 AD for the worship of the god Ameno-tajikaraono-mikoto.  Later in 1355, the spirit of the ninth century scholar Sugawara Michizane was also enshrined there.
The present form of the shrine dates from 1478 when [...]

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Almond Cafe

Earlier this year, TokyoFive wrote about the closing of Almond Cafe in his blog.  Opened over 60 years ago, the landmark Almond Cafe is a popular meeting place due to its very convenient and prominent location at the Roppongi Crossing in Tokyo, Japan – not to mention its distinct pink and white awnings.

Below is [...]

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Geek and Poke: Enterprise 1.0 Meets 2.0

For all you Twitter business users out there, are you now like this from Geek and Poke?

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Yushima Seido Shrine

One of the most peaceful and simplest shrines in Tokyo just south of the more colorful Kanda Myojin Shrine (which I had blogged about previously) is the Yushima Seido shrine, also in Akihabara, established in 1690 by the Edo government as a place to study Confucianism.  It was the first place of higher education in [...]

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