shrines

Famous Kyoto shrine has a message for foreign tourists who think it’s okay to dance at sacred sites

Fushimi Inari Taisha asks visitors to show some respect after dance videos filmed beneath its famous torii gates spark criticism online.

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Are Japanese temples on Mt Koya cashing in on the foreign tourism boom?

With more than 100 million yen in underreported income, questions are being raised over the morals of profiting from overseas tourists.

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Megadeth guitarist becomes voice of reason regarding tourists dancing at shrine in Japan

Tourists’ dance video at Kyoto shrine prompts angry response from Marty Friedman.

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Shinto shrine in downtown Tokyo announces cosplay ban

No more cosplaying on shrine grounds, please, says Yasukuni.

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Japan opens shrine for plush toys in Kyoto, offering memorial rites and a resting place for remains

A heartwarming way to say thank you to the plush toys you have loved, and who have loved you in return. 

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Shinto shrine’s night sky firefly sweets are Japan’s newest breathtaking, mouthwatering desserts.

Firefly-viewing season provides the inspiration for breathtaking Japanese confectionaries.

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Shinto shrine will bless your bike helmet and give you a sacred bike helmet stamp

Pray to get ahead or to keep your head.

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Japanese manhole lid raises eyebrows with fertility god symbol that looks like… well, you know

Festival of the Steel Phallus deity gets a steel lid in a rural city. 

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Fading Tokyo – Searching for signs of the Showa era as local neighborhoods evolve[Photos]

Mr. Sato starts his urban exploration of Tokyo to catch a glimpse of local neighborhoods’ pasts before they’re changed forever.

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Japan Extreme Budget Travel! A trip from Tokyo to Izumo for just 30,000 yen [Part 2]

Things got off to a good start on our crazy-cheap trip to the land of the gods, but with funds running low, will we have a roof over our heads on a snowy night?

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Japan Extreme Budget Travel! A trip from Tokyo to Izumo for just 30,000 yen [Part 1]

Can we make it from the capital to the land of the gods, sightsee, eat, find a hotel, and make it home for just 30,000 yen (US$195)?

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Kyoto shrine holding beautiful after-dark cherry blossom event this spring

No need to shove Heian Shrine into a crowded daytime itinerary while this breathtaking event is going on.

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China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning looks to be affecting tourist crowds on Miyajima

We head to one of Japan’s top travel destinations to see the situation and take cafe recommendations from a deer.

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Four Shinto shrines to pray for love at in Japan to start the New Year

Whether you’re looking for a new love or to take an existing one to the next level, the gods are ready to help you at these four Shinto spots.

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Dragons shine at nighttime illumination event coming to Tokyo’s Toshogu Shrine later this month

Enjoy the lit-up structures of an important shrine inside of Ueno Park this autumn complete with special omamori and more.

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Temple-heavy Kyoto presenting a unique challenge for travelers looking for Muslim prayer rooms

Kyoto City Tourism Association extends help to those looking for a place to pray the Islamic way.

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Akihabara maids gather to splash water at Tokyo shrine in annual uchimizu event【Photos】

Traditional and modern Japanese culture mix at Kanda Shrine.

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“I should not have gone out naked” admits man arrested at shrine in Japan

Some 20-20 hindsight about wearing zero clothing.

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Man arrested for threatening a shrine in Kyoto because they used AI art

Sometimes you have to ask yourself, “Am I acting like a demon?”

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Nagoshi no Harae: the summer Shinto ritual that most Japanese people don’t even know about

Have you finished all your Nagoshi no Harae shopping yet?

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