2008-09-15 #1

The quiet Tokyo

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This is a map of all buddhist temples I have visited during my short holiday trip to Tokyo. Out of the 22 temples I visited I can prove 16 through my pilgimage book stamped and nicely signed by the priests. At first I choose the temples randomly but then decided to read a bit more. Here is a nice explanation of Buddhism in Japan. From this site I then selected temples by pilgrimage to give my walks more of a sense. However, since the Six Amida Pilgrimage (see bottom) can take a while when on foot, I decided for a bycicle. You can rent one just outside Kamakura station.

The best trip though was my trip to the Izu peninsula. Here you can either just visit the Shuzenji onsen or visit the similarily named temple and then hike along the Hiragana path to Okonuin temple. To get there I took the Shinkansen to Mishima and then the local railroad to Shuzenji. It then only takes ten minutes to the temple by bus.

It is an excellent way to experience this city and its surroundings.