Browse all travel guides tagged with "Religious Site / Sacred Place"
Two one-night, two-day autumn model courses for Miyazaki Prefecture cover a Takachiho route of gorge, shrines and night kagura, and a Miyazaki and Nichinan route of coastal drives and local food, plus a month-long Aoshima festival in October 2026.
On Saturday, October 31 and Sunday, November 1, 2026, Kongobuji Temple on Koyasan in Wakayama hosts Ropparamitsu, a hands-on event with sutra copying, ritual instruments, a talk with monks, and more.
From December 1, 2026 to February 28, 2027, KAI Kinugawa offers a stay plan that includes a guests-only special prayer at Nikko Toshogu, original naorai sweets served at the long-established wagashi shop Nisshodo, and a goshuincho made with Kurobane indigo dyeing and Mamada cord.
On December 3, 2026, Ginza NAGANO will host a special seminar on the Zenkoji Temple Gokaicho, held once every seven years, followed by a tasting of three Shinshu apple varieties. The fee is ¥1,000, and registration has closed after both sessions reached capacity.
From December 1, 2026, KAI Kirishima offers a one-night stay plan that includes an original goshuin received at Kirishima Jingu, a handmade goshuincho covered in Satsuma washi, and purifying salt that was offered at the shrine.
From September 14 to December 7, Fukuoka Prefecture and the Fukuoka Prefecture Tourism Association are running a digital badge campaign on the hiking app YAMAP along the Hikosan Pilgrimage Route's Autumn Peak Route, with an original tenugui hand towel for the first 500 hikers who collect three or more badges.
A limited-time antenna shop selling shochu, sake, and other specialties from breweries on Oita's Kunisaki Peninsula opens in the Gift Pad Space on the second floor of KITTE Osaka from November 1 to 30, 2026, timed to "Shochu Day," with a special event day on November 7.
From September 19, Kunozan Toshogu Shrine, a National Treasure in Shizuoka City, will hold a special night viewing event called "IRODORI," featuring an origami-inspired light-up and, new this year, a projection of the sacred beast Baku symbolizing Tokugawa Ieyasu's wish for peace.
Starting September 9, NIPPONIA HOTEL Ise Kawasaki Shonin-machi and Ise Rickshaw Tamaya are launching the "Tamaya Kago Plan," a new experience that puts guests in the starring role of a milestone celebration — riding Kansai's only traditional town palanquin through the historic streets of Ise, guided by a local rickshaw driver who knows the city inside out.
YOKI MATSUSHIMA, a hot spring hotel in Matsushima, Miyagi Prefecture, is offering a stay plan available on two dates only — September 27 and October 26, 2026 — that pairs a nighttime special viewing of the national treasure Zuiganji temple with a Full-Moon Kaiseki dinner inspired by the moonlit bay, priced from ¥81,900 per person based on double occupancy.
From October 30 to November 3, 2026, Sensoji Temple in Tokyo is opening its normally closed Denboin Garden and Ema-do Hall — home to around 50 large votive paintings — for a five-day special viewing featuring a mist installation and the after-dark Kinryu Yakai program. Reentry-enabled day-and-night tickets go on advance sale September 1.
Village & Hotel Shima Chichukaimura in Shima, Mie Prefecture, will launch the long-run stay campaign CAMINO SHIMA on August 1, 2026, inviting visitors to spend one more night enjoying Shima's food, scenery, and Mediterranean-style village through five experiences linking the Ise pilgrimage with Spain's Camino de Santiago.
Hotel Granvia Kyoto is launching an exclusive program for guests on its special Gran Via Floor, offering private access to the normally closed Shoin building, prayers at the main hall, and a traditional kagura performance at Fushimi Inari-taisha.
A special day-trip pilgrimage tour marking the rare Chichibu Uma-doshi So-kaido is set for May 17, 2026, departing from Seibu Chichibu Station, with ordained monks leading participants through the region's sacred sites.
A new English-friendly portal site dedicated to the Shikoku 88-temple pilgrimage has gone live, offering video content in 8 languages to help overseas travelers discover the spiritual journey known as Ohenro.
A new overnight "Zen Retreat Plan" is now available at Kanshukuen ESHIKOTO, an onsen auberge in Eiheiji, Fukui. The program includes in-room Zen practice, early-morning prayers at Daihonzan Eiheiji Temple, and a shojin vegetarian cuisine course dinner.
Kakogawa's most cherished spring tradition returns to Kakurinji Temple, where a three-day ceremony centered on Prince Shotoku's memorial rites marks the arrival of the season — including a fire-walking ritual open to the public.
A special goshuin (temple stamp) rally at 78 shrines and temples across Kyushu begins February 20, 2026. Visitors can collect unique commemorative stamps at sacred sites across seven prefectures using special JR train passes.
Novotel Okinawa Naha announces its first-ever wedding consultation event in partnership with Okinogu Shrine, one of Okinawa's Eight Ryukyuan Shrines, offering couples the chance to plan traditional Japanese engagement ceremonies and wedding celebrations.
Every February 10, Sugou Isobe Shrine in Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture, hosts the Gongan Shinji, a powerful traditional ritual. Locally known as Gongan-san or Bamboo Splitting Festival, this winter tradition carries a long and storied history into the present.
Hakone Ashino-ko Hanaori launches a special accommodation plan for visitors exploring the Hakone Three Shrines pilgrimage route, featuring an original goshuincho (stamp book) and detailed walking map.
The Light of Hope, which began after the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, will be installed at Madoiwa Rock in Wajima City. A lighting ceremony will be held on February 1, 2026, to connect hopes across disaster-affected communities.
Onioshidashi Park in Gunma Prefecture will host a distinctive Setsubun bean-throwing event on February 3, 2026, at the Asama-san Kannon-do temple stage, where demons are considered allies rather than enemies.
Experience a journey to cleanse your mind and body and attract good fortune with the gods' power at Mercure Fukuoka Munakata Resort & Spa, located on the coast overlooking the Genkai Sea. Two special accommodation plans are now available.
Mount Haguro, one of the sacred Dewa Sanzan peaks, will celebrate its special Horse Year Goennen in 2026, a once-in-12-years blessing event expected to draw many pilgrims.
MUFG National Stadium will host a special New Year prayer tour for five days only from January 3 to 5 and January 14 to 15, 2026. In collaboration with Hatomori Hachiman Shrine, visitors can write their wishes on ema votive plaques during the stadium tour and enjoy a unique New Year experience.
The annual Shosha-san Momiji Matsuri returns from November 21-23, 2025, featuring special access to Important Cultural Properties, illuminated autumn foliage, and traditional Japanese taiko drum performances at Shoshazan Engyoji Temple in Himeji.
Yanagidani Kannon Yōkokuji Temple in Nagaokakyo City, Kyoto will hold its annual Autumn Leaves Week from November 15 to December 7, 2025, featuring special viewings and nighttime illuminations.
If you are going to go sightseeing, you want to incorporate into your itinerary things that you can only see and experience during that time of the year. In this issue, we will introduce the conditions, events, and recommended spots in February in Fukuoka for those who are interested in such things. *The schedule of […]
Fukuoka is rich in local cuisine and sightseeing spots, but it is also attractive for its abundant nature. There are many hidden spots with spectacular views. In this article, we will introduce some of Fukuoka’s lesser-known spots with spectacular views, so please take a look at them as reference for your trip. To learn more […]
Summary This time, I visited Tomonoura, the setting of Ghibli’s “Ponyo on a Cliff by the Sea,” and Sensuijima Island, an island so beautiful that even hermits get drunk on it, which is located five minutes away by boat.Explore the harbor and nostalgic streets with a touch of history, and feel the mystery of nature […]
Nikko City in Tochigi Prefecture is one of the leading tourist destinations in Japan, with convenient access from Tokyo. It is attracting attention not only from within Japan but also from overseas tourists interested in Japanese culture. In addition to historical spots such as Nikko Toshogu Shrine, which is registered as a World Heritage site, […]
What is Ueno Park? Ueno Park is one of the most famous parks in Tokyo and a popular tourist spot with many cultural facilities, temples, and shrines. The vast grounds are rich in nature, featuring cherry blossom trees dating back to the Edo period and a pond with floating lotus flowers, making it an urban oasis.
Ueno is one of Tokyo's most popular sightseeing districts, packed with museums, markets, and historic spots. This guide covers 30 of the best things to do in Ueno, from Ueno Park and Ameyoko to major museums, shrines, and Yanaka-area strolls.