Tag shrines

Saga, Culture, Experience, Kyushu & Okinawa, Location

Imari Shrine: The Vermilion Gate, the Sweets God & Tontenton

The striking vermilion two-storey tower gate (romon) of Imari Shrine in Imari, Saga, built over a white arched tunnel with stone steps leading up to the shrine, framed by trees

Imari Shrine in Saga: a photogenic vermilion gate over a white tunnel, a rare shrine to the god of sweets, and the Tontenton fighting festival.

Nobu
June 8, 2026

Mie, Chubu, Culture, Location, Seasonal Travel, Shrines & Temples, Travel Tips

Ise Jingu Guide 2026: Naiku, Geku & 1707 Akafuku Honten

Massive wooden torii gate at the entrance of Ise Jingu Naiku, with visitors crossing the Uji Bridge under a clear blue late-autumn sky, the sacred crossing point into Japan most important Shinto shrine, low afternoon sun raking across the bridge planks

Ise Jingu in late November — pre-koyo blue skies, the vast Naiku cedar forest, the 101.8 m Uji Bridge torii, and Akafuku Honten on Oharaimachi where the same recipe has been made since 1707. A Japanese pilgrimage guide in Nobu first-person.

Nobu
May 28, 2026

Kyoto, Culture, Kansai, Location, Shrines & Temples, Travel Tips

Shimogamo Shrine Kyoto Guide 2026: UNESCO Forest [With Map]

Shimogamo Shrine main Romon gate in vermillion lacquer with curved Japanese tiled roof against a blue summer sky with white clouds, two visitors walking toward the gate, the front courtyard of the UNESCO World Heritage shrine in Kyoto

Shimogamo Shrine in June — Kyoto's UNESCO forest sanctuary with the 124,000 m² Tadasu no Mori canopy at peak green. A first-person guide from a Kyoto local: grounds map, sister-shrine comparison, season-by-season table, and where mitarashi dango was invented.

Nobu
May 28, 2026

Kyoto, Location

A Guide to Kyoto, Japan: The Heart of Kyoto Prefecture

For over a millennium, Kyoto stood as the imperial capital of Japan, a city where emperors reigned and a sophisticated culture flourished. Today, it remains the nation’s spiritual heart and a premier destination for travelers seeking to immerse themselves in…

Nobu
January 23, 2026