Next to Shingan-ji temple a few minutes' walk from the station in Tokyo's trendy Shimokitazawa district, Kitazawa Hachiman is a pleasant hillside shinto shrine. The main hall is attractively decorated, but the main point for me was the numerous miniature side shrines; even though they are small, they are adorned with carvings as intricately detailed as on full-sized buildings, trees and birds, flowers, lions and dragons. There's also a side hall with a beautiful painted screen on display (behind a window which makes it impossible to photograph).
Peter Sidell @peter.sidell
I came to Japan from Manchester, England in 2003, and have travelled a lot since then, around Japan and in Asia. When I'm not working, I write satire and perform stand-up comedy in and around Tokyo. Check YouTube for a taste.
