Shogunate hometown
I found myself recently in the small town of Ashikaga in Tochigi Prefecture. The name is famous in Japanese history as being the family name of the Muromachi shoguns, and sure enough this is where they came … Read the rest
Category: Shrine visits (Page 15 of 21)
Futarasan Shrine is part of the complex, along with Toshogu shrine and Rinno-ji temple, that makes up the World Heritage Site of Nikko. it was founded in 767 by a monk called Shodo Shonin and dedicated to three Izumo … Read the rest
Perhaps the first thing to say about Futaryama Shrine is that it’s not related to its more famous neighbour Futarasan Shrine in nearby Nikko. One is written 二荒山; the other is written 二荒山. Spot the difference?
My immediate thought … Read the rest
A syncretic mausoleum
As the centrepiece of Nikko, Toshogu is one of the most famed destinations in Japan. Ornate, colourful, elaborate, it acts as mausoleum for Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616), founder of Japan’s most successful shogunate dynasty,.
Unfortunately for me, … Read the rest
Ley lines
In 1921 an amateur archaeologist named Alfred Watkins noticed on a map that various ancient monuments and spiritual places were aligned in a straight line. He spent the following years researching the phenomenon of what he termed ley … Read the rest
It is with great pleasure that Green Shinto is able to announce the forthcoming publication of Shinto Shrines: A Guide to the Sacred Sites of Japan’s Ancient Religion by University of Hawaii Press this autumn….
* comprehensive overview of Shinto … Read the rest
May. Sunshine. Fertility. Inari…..
What a blessing at this time of year to live in Kyoto and be able to walk up the sacred mount at Fushimi. I’ve never seen the shrine so radiant, for it stands freshly restored … Read the rest