Located at Ueno Park is the “Toki Wasureji no To” (best known as the “Time Forgotten Tower”). Over 50-years ago, the Tokyo Air Raid led to many bomb strikes and two atomic bombs were dropped in Japan and many people lost their lives. The following Read More …
I wrote about Asakusa Senso-ji and Tokyo’s oldest Buddhist Temple, Asakusa Jinja back in 2015 and explored the history, but because I came with friends in the last trip, I didn’t fully explore the location until the following year. Granted, when we last went, it Read More …
In Yanaka, near Nippori Station, is a temple called Daikokuten Kyooji Temple. While not a huge temple, the temple does date back from the Edo Period and inside, there is a statue of Daitokuten, one of the Seven Lucky Gods (shichifukujin). The statue is said Read More …
While walking through Yanaka, I passed by an area that I wasn’t sure if there was anything significant inside. Yanaka is so full of tradition like for every few feet you walk, there is a temple and a shrine that you will most likely visit. Read More …
When it comes to menchi-katsu (minced meat with vegetables in a fried potato covering), people are quite selective of what’s best. From Kichijoji’s Harmonica Alley to Asakusa, there are people who have their favorites, but there is one menchi-katsu restaurant that gets a lot of Read More …
In 1648 Misawa no Tsubone, the west nurse of Tokugawa Ietsuna, 4th Shogun of the Tokugawa Dynasty, founded Emmei-in Temple in Yanaka. The Nichiren Buddhist Temple was established as a bettoji, a temple attached to a Shinto shrine (typically in Japan, temples and shrines are Read More …
In yesterday’s post, I discussed the Okakura Tenshin Memorial Site in Yanaka and how he started the Japan Art Institute (Nihon Bijutsuin). But not far from the Memorial Site is the Tomb of Kano Hogai, a famouse Japanese painter of the early Meiji era. A Read More …
Okakura Kakuzo (a.k.a. Okakura Tenshin) was a Japanese scholar who is known for the development of arts in Japan. Best known for his book “The Book of Tea”, Okakura was a scholar who learned English while attending a school which was operated by a Christian Read More …
Located at Ueno Park is the shinto shrine, Tosho-gu. The shrine is where Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate, the third and last of the shogunai governments in Japanese history, is enshrined. It’s important to note that there is not one but around Read More …
I visited the National Museum of Western Art in Ueno Park. I went to check out the exhibit of German Renaissance painter and printmaker, Lucas Cranach the Elder. The building of the National Museum of Western Art was designed by Le Corbusier (Charles-Edouard Jeanneret), one Read More …
Asakusa is known for the Senso-ji Temple and to the right of it is Sumida Park, Sumida River and Tokyo Skytree in Sumida. Located right near the Sumida River on a street corner is Komagatado Hall in Taito. Which was erected back in 942 and Read More …
Are you planning to head to Asakusa to check out the popular Sensoji Temple? If you are coming out from the #2 Exit of Asakusa Station at Ginza Line or right across the street from Kaminarimon in Asakusa, check out Asakusa Nishiyama. Asakusa Nishiyama is Read More …
Outside of Asakusa Station and not far from the major temples is one of the oldest Japanese sweet shops in Tokyo, Funawa Cafe. Established in 1902, the place is known for selling “imo yokan” (sweet potato paste), various an-mitsu offerings (red bean+ fruit or cream) Read More …