Every December my Japan Today article details a different seven lucky gods walk, allowing my readers in the vicinity to enjoy the walk and pick up some luck for the new year. This December it's a walk in Chiba, about an hour out of Tokyo. All the best for 2023, everyone! (Archived article from Japan … Continue reading The Sakura Seven: A walk to gain good fortune
For many in Japan, Kannon, the Buddhist goddess of compassion and mercy, has also come to be associated with prayers for peace and the repose of the souls of war dead. Predictably, this association arose in the years after Japan's defeat in World War II, but the association remains these many decades after the war … Continue reading Tokyo-wan Kannon: a surprising pantheon of peace
A day walk in a pretty urban area is always fun. A walk with a mission, like collecting the stamps of seven lucky gods, is even more fun. I've written on several lucky gods walks to do at New Year's but here's one that can be done any time of year, takes about 3 hours, … Continue reading Chasing an unusual seven lucky gods in Zoshigaya
This article takes readers on a seven lucky gods pilgrimage through an old, but not well known, corner of Tokyo. Seven lucky gods pilgrimages are mostly done at the New Year, but this one has delights in all seasons. Learn more in this article. (Archived article originally published by Japan Today.)
Tomioka Hachiman Shrine sits in the historic Fukagawa district of Tokyo, a neighborhood that developed and flourished during the Tokugawa shogunate (1602-1868) when Tokyo was known as Edo. Indeed, the history of the shrine, founded in 1627, is inextricably tied to that of Edo. Edo began its life as a fishing village wedged between rivers … Continue reading Tomioka Hachiman Shrine: conflicts, cartography, and other “stuff”
This article describes a seven lucky gods pilgrimage, a short walk popular in the New Year's season as a means to secure good fortune for the new year. This walk is in Tsurumi, a northern coastal part of Yokohama city, and includes part of the old Tokaido Road. (Archived article – Originally published by Japan … Continue reading Seeking out seven lucky gods in Tsurumi
The small city of Kamaishi, on the Sanriku coast of Iwate Prefecture, for more than a century a thriving center of Japan's steel production is, these days, supported by fisheries, shellfish farms, and eco-tourism. It was badly impacted by the 2011 Tohoku disaster, with the tsunami waters reaching 4.3 meters, easily breaching the Kamaishi Tsunami Protection … Continue reading Kamaishi Kannon: guardian goddess and witness to history
This article takes readers on a walk to visit Japan's seven lucky gods at shrines and temples in the Minato neighborhood of Tokyo. Such walks are a popular new year's activity, said to bring luck and fortune to participants. This walk can only be done for that purpose between New Year's Day and Coming of … Continue reading The seven lucky gods of Minato: A different perspective on a well-known Tokyo district
This article takes readers on a walk to visit Japan's seven lucky gods at shrines and temples in the historic Yanaka neighborhood of Tokyo. Such walks are a popular new year's activity, said to bring luck and fortune to participants. (Archived article - Originally published by Japan Today.)
This article takes readers on a walk to visit Japan's seven lucky gods at shrines and temples in the Shibamata neighborhood of northeast Tokyo. Such walks are a popular new year's activity, said to bring luck and fortune to participants. In addition, the walk is fun and interesting! (Archived article – Originally published by Japan … Continue reading Shibamata’s seven lucky gods walk
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