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How to visit shrines in Tokyo Metropolis!

Tokyo Jinjya (Shrine) Meiji Shrine Ueno Akihabara kanda yushima kanda shrine

What is different between shrines and temples? How to visit them?

Japanese shrines generally are based in Shintoism and temples are based on Buddhism. Buildings have different names depending on religions just as we have churches for Christianity and mosques for Muslims. An easier way to tell which one is which is that you’ll find tori archways at shrines and graves at temples.

As a visitor to Japan, you might be most interested in adequate way of visiting these traditional spots, but I don’t think you have to care about it too much. Having said that, please enjoy the below YouTube
video -an interesting cartoon as a helpful guidance as to how to visit shrines.

http://youtu.be/fYTGcF3Juqw

3 major shrines located within a walking distance from JR Yamanote line stations

Meiji Shrine

Kanda Shrine

Meiji Shrine
Located near Harajuku Station, JR Yamanote line
This shrine is dedicated to the divine souls of Emperor Meiji and his consort Empress Shoken.
Total of hatsumode visitors is around 3.2 million each year!
They have the greatest number in Japan every year.
Visitors’ prayers are various from world peace, driving out an evil spirit, success in business, well-being of one’s family, marriage, road safety and passing of exams, etc.
Address: 1-1 Yoyogikamizono-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Tel: +81 (03)-3379-5511

Kanda Shrine
Located near Akihabara Station, JR Yamanote line
Well-known as “Kanda Myojin”
It is recognized as the universal tutelary god of the 108 towns featuring the Edo culture such as Tokyo, Kanda, Nihonbashi, Akihabara, Otemachi and Marunouchi to name a few.
Address: 2-16-2, Soto-Kanda, Chiyoda Tokyo
Tel : +81 (03)-3642-1315

Yushima Tenman-gū Shrine
Located near Okachimachi(Ueno) Station, JR Yamanote line
The spirit of Sugawara Michizane, a historical figure, is enshrined to venerate his extraordinary virtue as a scholar.
The shrine receives not only many visitors during the New Year but also the examination season.
It is recognized as the representative tenmangu in Tokyo and they are one of the “Three Kanto Tenjins” together with Yabo Tenman-gu and Kameido Tenjin.
Address: 3-30-1 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo
Tel: +81-(03)-3836-0753