Tokyo 2024 Travel Log: Day 4 — Visiting Senso-ji Temple

One place I really wanted to visit on this trip was Senso-ji Temple. For those who don't know, it is the oldest temple in Tokyo, one of the most significant Buddhist temples in Japan, and is the most widely visited religious site in the world. I didn't get a chance to visit last year because we just couldn't fit it in our schedule, so I was determined to go this time. 

Hozomon Gate
Hozomon Gate
Hozomon Gate
Five-Storied Pagoda and Senso-ji Temple
Senso-ji Temple
Five-Storied Pagoda
Hozomon Gate (North face)
Senso-ji Temple
Statue in front of Senso-ji Temple
A yuzu tree
Senso-ji tsukubai
Senso-ji tsukubai
Nisonbutsu (Two Buddhas)
A flowering tree in full bloom
Garden at Yogo-do Pavilion
Koi pond at Yogo-do Pavilion
Cascade at Yogo-do Pavilion
Bronze Hokyoin-to
Seated Bronze Statue of Amida Nyorai
Seated Bronze Statue of Kannon Bodhisattva
Lantern in front of Hashimoto Yakusi-do Temple
A sakura tree
Nakamise-dori
Lanterns at Nakamise-dori
I'm not religious, but my grandmother was Buddhist and always took me with her to temple when I was a kid, so I've always appreciated the beauty of the religion and its buildings for worship. I know it's one of the most touristy sites in Tokyo, but it is totally worth dodging crowds for. (I did skip most of Nakamise-dori, though. Those crowds are a little too much for me.)

Senso-ji Temple 

2 Chome-3-1 

Asakusa, Taito City 

Tokyo, Japan 〒111-0032 

+81-3-3842-0181

Osaka 2024 Travel Log: Day 5 — Walking Around Osaka Castle

We walked an hour from Namba to Osaka Castle and got there just as the queue to go in closed for the day (can you tell I didn't do any research before going?), so we quite literally walked around the main building:

Osaka Castle — Main Tower (South Side)

Osaka Castle — South Outer Moat

Osaka Castle — Main Tower (South Side)

Osaka Castle — Inner Moat (West Side)

Osaka Castle — Main Tower (Northwest Corner)

Osaka Castle — Inner Moat (Northwest Side)

Osaka Castle — Main Tower (North Side)

But you can be damn sure I took photos of the exterior from as many sides as I could. (And the moats. 'Cause who doesn't love a good moat?)

Osaka Castle

Osaka Castle Park

1-1 Osakajo

Chuo Ward

Osaka, Japan 〒540-0002

Kyoto 2023 Travel Log: Visiting Yasaka Shrine

Okay, I'm not a particularly religious or spiritual person, but as we were walking through Higashiyama, we saw Yasaka Shrine (dedicated to the kami, Susanoo) and it was too beautiful to just pass by.

South Torii Gate to Yasaka Shrine
Yasaka Shrine
Yasaka Shrine
Stone lantern at Yasaka Shrine
Fugenzo yaezakura trees at Yasaka Shrine
Yasaka Shrine
Lanterns at Yasaka Shrine
Yasaka Shrine
Suzu at Yasaka Shrine
Stone lantern at Yasaka Shrine
Main entrance to Yasaka Shrine

I wish we had another day in Kyoto. There's just so much to see here and, like, at least another three shrines and two temples to visit...

Yasaka Shrine

625 Gionmachi Kitagawa

Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto City

Kyoto, Japan 〒605-0073

+81-07-5561-6155

Kyoto 2023 Travel Log: Exploring Higashiyama Ward

We spent the rest of the afternoon walking around the historic Higashiyama Ward of Kyoto, which started off with the most delicious matcha soft serve ice cream cone at Ujicha Gion Tsujiri:

Matcha soft serve ice cream cone from Ujicha Gion Tsujiri
Walking by a stream in Higashiyama
Higashiyama Ward
A street view of Yasaka Pagoda
Women dressed up in kimono in Higashiyama
Grilling dango
Mitarashi dango
Higashiyama Ward
A torii gate in Higashiyama
Street view of the Gionkaku Tower in Daiunin Temple
Higashiyama Ward
A temple entrance in Higashiyama Ward
Women dressed up in kimono in Higashiyama

For 2 hours, we walked through narrow, sloped streets where it seems like time has stood still for hundreds of years. We watched ladies dressed up in geisha attire take an inordinate amount of selfies, stopped by the tiniest dango stall for some mitarashi dango (where I discovered that I like savoury dango way more than sweet ones), saw a multitude of shrine and temple entrances, and circled back around to visit Yasaka Shrine (which I will cover in the next post). An afternoon well spent!

Ujicha Gion Tsujiri

573-3 Gionmachi Minamigawa

Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto City

Kyoto, Japan 〒605-0074

+81-07-5561-2257

Yasaka Pagoda

388 Yasakakamimachi Shimizu

Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto City

Kyoto, Japan 〒605-0862 

+81-07-5551-2417

Daiunin Temple

594-1 Gionmachi Minamigawa

Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto City

Kyoto, Japan 〒605-0074

+81-07-5531-5018