Nezu Shrine, Hidden Paradise In Tokyo
Tokyo is not just the shuffle of Shibuya, the Ginza class, or the excitement of Shinjuku. Try to take a quick breath from the third area of the city full of people. Stop by one of the old temples in Tokyo in the city center. Not too visible indeed because the surroundings are parks and housing. However, tracing it inward, we will be taken to a hidden paradise that is so beautiful. His name, Nezu Shrine. Nezu Shrine is located in the Bunkyo (Nezujinja) area, Tokyo. A large red gate and a monument become a sign of the location of the temple. Its found by the legendary prince of the Yamato Dynasty, Yamato Takeru. Initially, this temple was established in the Sendagi area. However, during the time of Shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, the temple was moved as a celebration of his choosing Tokugawa Ienobi as his successor. As a gift, Ienobi may choose the location of the new temple as its protective deity.
Bamboo Hallway (Torii)
Once inside, a calm atmosphere will immediately welcome. Shady green trees cover every step towards the shrine for Shinto adherents. It’s really cool even though Tokyo is still 32 degrees Celsius. Not to mention the cicadas’ voices that sound like they are welcoming guests. The Nezu shrine, located in Tokyo, Japan, is located in a large, beautiful complex. A cool and calm landscape in the middle of the busy city of Tokyo. This shrine is commonly use by Shinto devotees to worship or to hold weddings. This old temple building is divide into two parts. The first part, which is a place of worship on the hill. The place of worship is quite small, only about 7 meters in length. Around it grew azaleas that bloomed in April. To reach this place of worship, residents or guests who come must climb dozens of stairs. To the left of the place of worship, there were striking orange bamboo gates that stood lined up extensively.
Azalea Festival
Bamboo gates (torii) in Nezu Shrine, Tokyo. Remember something? Yep, this row of orange bamboo gates is very similar to the recent popular photo spot in Fushimi Inari in Kyoto. Well, if you are on vacation in Tokyo, you don’t need to go all the way to Kyoto to get a photo that is okay? Moving from the orange bamboo row, a larger building is located at the bottom. This is the main place of worship of the Nezu Shrine. There are also fields that are large enough to hold larger celebrations such as weddings or Azalea flower festivals (tsutsuji festival). On the outside, a large barrel fill with water that is used by Japanese people to wash their faces before starting worship. Not far from that place, you will find a very beautiful garden. The azalea garden that lay on the back of the Nezu Shrine, Tokyo. There, a large tree that stood alone among the rows of trees from the lower azaleas. Enjoy the beauty, breathe fresh air, absorb energy. “Japanese people believe that if they come to this temple, they will also absorb the energy in the temple,” said our tour guide, Tomita Hideyoshi.
How to get to Nezu Shrine: – 5 minutes walk from Nezu Station or Sendagi Station (Tokyo Metro Chiyoda line) – 5 minutes walk from Todaimae Station (Tokyo Metro Nanboku line)
Operating hours: 09.00-17.00
Entrance fee: free