JAPAN TRAVEL
One of the five most important Inari Shrines in Japan
Taikodani Inari Shrine is the most important shrine in Tsuwano, the second most important religious site in Shimane, and one of the five most important Inari shrines in Japan. As an Inari shrine, it is dedicated to the god of agri...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
Where cherry trees blossom all year long
Sakuragi Shrine, founded in 851 by a member of the Fujiwara clan, is the oldest in Noda City. The shrine is well known for its gardens with cherry trees that bloom late and early, and for its many winter flowering cherry trees. Any time you vi...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
Ibaraki Shinto shrine with lone torii gate by the ocean
Japan boasts many beautiful sights but the Oarai Isosaki Shrine in Oarai, Ibaraki, is distinguished by its alluring lone torii gate on a rock by the ocean.
While the shrine has three torii gates, the most famous one is Kamiiso-n...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
Searching for the fountain of youth
What is the secret to immortality? It has been a search that has perplexed mankind for centuries, one that is like the mythical El Dorado.
In 219 BC Xu Fu (Jofuku in Japanese) was a court sorcerer in China’s Qin Dynansty. He was sent to find the el...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
One of Nagano's top attractions
Zenkoji Temple in Nagano prefecture is considered one of Japan's most popular temples and the largest after Nara's Todai-ji. It is surrounded by a bustling religious district and is reached by following the lively Nakamise-dori avenue that is lined wit...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
Visit this place of luck and learn its unique history
The quiet grounds of Nitta-jinja Shrine belie a long and colorful history. The shrine dates back over 650 years to the Namboku Period (which spanned much of the 14th century), when factions from the northern and southern halves of...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
Gozan temples between Takeda Shrine and Kai-Zenkoji
The meaning of 'Gozan'  
During the Southern Song Dynasty in China (1127–1279), there was a system of state sponsored temples commonly called the 'Five Mountain' system. 'Five Mountains' really meant five temples (temples were very ...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
 
Shrine of the Tsuwano-domain, Origin of the Heron Dance
Yasaka Shrine is a small but important shrine in Tsuwno Castle town in Shimane Prefecture. It is about 20 minutes from the station, and only 5 minutes from other important sightseeing spots like the water-ways filled with koi ...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
Feel the deep, pleasant silence at a thatch-roof temple
Youmeiji temple (永明寺｜ようめいじ) is a thatch roofed temple 15 minutes from Tsuwano station and 10 minutes from the old town center. I visited in early summer, and it was refreshing that after walking up the stairs leading to...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
Unique double helix structure in Aizuwakamatsu
Aizu Sazaedo (会津さざえ堂) is a 16.5 meter high, three-storied, hexagonal Buddhist pagoda located in Aizu-wakamatsu. Built in 1796 it is one of the oldest wooden structures of its kind and a designated Important Cultural Property, yet i...

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