Must Go Places in Kawagoe!
1. What’s Koedo(小江戸）? It means “small Edo（江戸).” In the Edo period (1603-1867), Kawagoe was called Koedo because it flourished as a castle town of Kawagoe Domain. At the time, General …
Tag: Shinto shrine
How to Predict the Gender of the Coming Baby: Old Wives’ Tales in Japan.
For most moms/dads-to-be, guessing the gender of the coming baby is very exciting. Of course, you will know it by a particular medical check up like a blood test or …
When You Wish upon the Stars ~七夕 ”Tanabata”~
There is a traditional star festival that takes place on July 7th in Japan. On that day, people put up a lot of decorations made from origami paper and colorful …
The unknown sites of Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto
It’s no secret that Fushimi Inari Shrine attracts a great number of tourists from around the world. Everyone knows the iconic vermilion torii gates called Senbon Torii (千本鳥居,thousands of torii …
Let’s Collect the Special Stamps!! (Goshuin: 御朱印)
Many Japanese people love collecting stamps and points that shops and restaurants give us when we buy something there. Do you know about the cards on which you can collect …
The difference between a Shinto shrine and a Buddhist temple
I am a Shinto priest who works at Onji Shrine in Osaka Prefecture. It was built around 470 A.D. and is one of the oldest Shinto shrines in Japan. The …