Shrines and Temples, Tokyo

Don't get this confused with the Daibutsu (Big Buddha) in Kamakura, Kanagawa. The Tokyo Daibutsu is rather unknown, even to my Japanese friends! It's a few metres shorter than its Kamakura cousin and it's been painted black. The gardens are quaint and quiet and best of all it's free!!
Directions:
Take the local train on the Tobu-Tojo line from Ikebukuro station to Narimasu station. Take the bus that stops at Tokyo-Daibutsu-dori (you have to ask the bus driver). Walk about 3-5 minutes along Tokyo-Daibutsu-dori (avenue) and you'll see the gates on your left side.

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Not far from the Roppongi Hills complex, we stumbled upon Sakura Jinja, a tiny shrine. It was indeed beautiful (like so many shrines, it seemed to shut out the noise of the city and confer an instant tranquility on those venturing down the paths), but deserted; possibly the shrine maidens were having lunch.

The shrine seemed aptly named, because there was a profusion of blooming cherry trees lining the walks. In the gentle rain, blossoms had begun to fall and in places the ground was a carpet of pink. For the first time, I saw the trees being used as repositories of the fortunes which one can purchase (or one could, if anyone was around from whom to buy). They looked quite beautiful like that.

The first time I visited General Nogi's shrine on Gaien Higashi Dori, I was paying more attention to the just-starting-to-bloom cherry trees and the beautifully constructed home and stables -- and to the wedding that began shortly after our arrival. But as it was directly on the route where I walked twice a day, I began stopping to savor my coffee in the little park, and thus I finally encountered the shrine cat. Or, more accurately, on a rainy day I suddenly noticed that there WAS a shrine cat, and that someone was making certain that it was fed, watered and properly sheltered. Why don't you visit and see if you can spot its home? Maybe you will get lucky and actually see Mr. Puss.

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Every flower gets its own festival in Japan, and the plum blossom comes first, blooming in late February. I headed down to Yushima Tenjin, in the Ueno area of Tokyo, a shinto shrine dedicated to a 9th century scholar named Sugawara Michizone. Here, over 100 trees were in full bloom, acrobats were performing and vendors were selling delicious-smelling street food. I even got to taste some plum sake. Yum! The place was crowded, but I was the only westerner around. Almost everyone had a camera, so this is not a place to be shy about taking pictures!
...To get here, just get off the Yushima station on the Choyoda Line.

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....The famous 47 ronin are buried at Sengakuji Temple, and their graves are still visited by Japanese today, 300 years after their ritual suicides (seppaku). This shouldn't be surprising, since almost every native of Japan grows up hearing their story, idealized as the epitome of samarai ethics and honor.
....For those unfamiliar with the story, it starts when the shogun appointed Asano Takuminokami as protocol officer to handle the powerless but meddlesome emperor's delegations from Kyoto. But, apparently, Asano couldn't get along with his boss, Kira Kozukenusuke, who treated him in a way unbecoming to a samarai. This is well before EEO offices would have handled his complaints about a hostile environment, so Asano took matters into his own hands ans one day in 1701, fed up with all the insults, he drew his sword on Kira and cut him on the forehead and in the shoulder, but failed to kill him.
....According to the strict laws of the shogunate, drawing one's sword within the confines of Edo was a capital offense, but this was also mitigated by another law mandating equal punishment for quarrels. However, the latter law seemed not to be applied: while Kira received no punishment, Asano was given a humiliating death sentence usually reserved for common felons: seppaku in the garden of another lord's residence. Additionally, the Asano estate was confiscated, his family line was stripped of its noble status, and his 47 samarai retainers (ronin) essentially excommunicated, jobless, masterless and socially ostracized.
....In the Edo times, vengeance for such a perceived wrong was expected, and Kira was wary. But the 47 ronin seemed so disheartened as to be incapable of fulfilling this requirement. The 47 ronin all descended into drunken debauchery, becoming regulars at the worst bars and brothels in town. However, unbeknownst to Kira, that was part of the plan to lull him into complacency -- all the women and wine were just a clever plan by the former chief retainer, Oishi Kuranosuke, to distract Kira's attention enough to pounce (or it was a good excuse to party). On December 14, 1702, the laying low all payed off as the 47 ronin executed their plan. They avenged their lord's death by attacking and killing Kira, then marched to Sengaku, washed the blood from Kira's severed head and presented it at Asano's grave. Upon doing that, 46 committed seppaku on the spot, splattering a plum tree with their blood, while the 47th stayed alive to tell the story and accept the judicial punishment: seppaku on 4 February 1703.
This story has been made into many plays and movies and is celebrated every year on 14 December at Sengakuji Temple. Sadly, I was out of the country on 14 December 2009, but I paid my first vist on 20 December of that year.

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Infront of most Shinto-temples one can find huge piles, where hundreds of Sake-casks are stored.
It is often consumed as part of Shinto purification rituals (comparable with the use of grape wine in Christian churches). During World War II, Kamikaze pilots drank sake prior to their suicide missions. Today barrels of sake are broken open (Kagami biraki) during Shinto festivals and ceremonies or following sports victories: this sake (called iwai-zake, literally "celebration sake") is served freely to all to spread good fortune.The "ritual" use is not limited to Sake, also Whisky and wine-barrels can be seen !
The picture shows empty Sake-barrels at Asakusa Shrine, to show off the sponsor's brands

Tokyo has no shortage of shrines and temples. Unfortunately though, many of them seem rather overrated, like the famous Meiji-Jingu which doesnt really live up to expectations (although the creepy surrounding forest, with its squawking, giant crows is like a scene from Hitchock`s "The Birds" , kinda fun in a macabre way).

But there are alternatives.

Shinjuku`s Hanozono-jinja is located right on Yasukuni-dori, one of the city`s main thoroughfares, opposite the giant Isetan department store and close to the Marui store as well. However, you could miss it. Enter through a narrow little alleyway under the red torii gate and suddenly youre in a shady yard of old trees, seemingly a million miles away. On Sundays there is a kimono market, good for cheap second hand traditional clothing for souvenirs, and if youre lucky you might see an outdoor play, staged in the temple`s yard. If you turn left, past the ornate red temple building, you`ll head out right into the blinking neon lights of Kabukicho, a tawdry pleasure-dome of illegal gambling and prostitution. The contrast between the calmness of the temple and its surroundings could hardly be greater.

The same is true of the delightful Togo Shrine, in the teenage shopping mecca of Harajuku. From Harajuku station, walk down Takeshita-dori, "Teenagers Street" - crushed full of hip hop boys and overly-made up girls, with stores selling all kinds of crazy, funky fashion fads...but turn right just before the end of the street (if you can hold out that long in the maddening crowd) .

Suddenly, you are standing by a serene pond, in the garden of this Shinto shrine. When I was there, a traditional wedding was taking place, carp were splashing in the pond and stray cats were dozing in the shady gardens...just seconds away from the seemingly parallel world of vibrant commercialism on Takeshita-dori.

Sundays here is an antique market- not cheap, but good quality pieces if youre looking for something distinctive to take home.

Togo Jinja (Shrine) is dedicated to the spirit of Admiral Heihachiro Togo (1848-1934), considered by many to be Japan's greatest admiral as well as the father of the modern Japanese navy. He was the naval hero of the Russo-Japanese War, where he led the defining 1905 victory against Russia at the Tsushima Straits. He also mentored Emperor Hirohito from 1914-1924. Togo is considered by many Japanese to now be a divine soul, and the shrine is a site for spiritual contact with him.

The shrine was established in 1940 but destroyed in the air bombings of 1945. It was replaced by a contemporary building in 1969 and a memorial hall was added.

Address: 1-5-3 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, 150-0001
5 minute walk from Harajuku Station