Overview
Retro Katsushika City Ward is a wonderland of Japanese suburbia and culture. Home to one of the country's most amazing temples, the ward's other temple and shrine locations turn out to be hidden repositories of Tokyo's traditional heritage. Here is an introduction to just some of the temples and shrines of Katsushika and how to reach them.
Otamainari Shrine
With its elevated profile, Otamainari Shrine almost comes across as a tree house. The shrine is dedicated to Ukanomitama, the deity of food and agriculture. Its most striking feature are its steep green stairs leading up to the contrasting vermilion columns of the shrine building and a tiny pine, representing the spiritual heritage of the area.
A 10-minute walk from Shin-Koiwa Station on the JR Sobu Line.
Renshoji Temple
Almost lost amidst its surroundings, Renshoji Temple doesn't seem like much from the outside. Once you enter, though, the temple grounds abound with points of interest. A statue representing the temple's offshoot spiritual lineage sits with a lovely temple bell complete with iron-wrought carvings and carved stone reliefs hinting at spiritual contemplation.
A 10-minute walk from Ayase Station on the Chiyoda or JR Joban Lines.
Shibamata Taishakuten Temple
A must-visit in Tokyo if there ever was one, Shibamata Taishakuten Temple stuns with its incredibly detailed Lotus Sutra-inspired wood carved reliefs. Listed as not only one of the 100 Soundscapes of Japan but the temple's handsome structure and surrounds features as one of the 100 Landscapes of Japan.
A 4-minute walk from Shibamata Station on the Keisei Kanamachi Line.
Tateishi Kumano Shrine
With a spiritual ancestry dating back to the 10th century, the unassuming Tateishi Kumano Shrine is replete with mystical inclinations. Laid out in an occult pentagram, the shrine pays homage to onmyodo, a kind of ancient Chinese divination art and holds monthly ceremonies in honour of the new and the full moons.
A 10-minute walk from Aoto Station on either the Keisei Main or Keisei Oshiage lines.
