Tag Archives: Horse

Japanese paper & Shinto art in Tokyo: Tour calendar for May & June 2014

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You can now join our most popular walking tour in Tokyo “Insight Into Art: Origami? Shinto?” in English or French on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in May and June 2014. Try to reserve at least one business day before your chosen date so we can try to organize e.g. a paper folding demonstration by an origami master…

Enjoy diverse colourful “Washi” handmade paper, origami, Japanese paper dolls, Shinto statues of horses and gods, golden lanterns (wonderful when illuminating the shrine at night)… at two historical sites of Japan.

Kanda-myojin at night: outdoor lanterns.

This original tour in Chiyoda ward usually starts at the convenient Hotel Niwa Tokyo but we remain flexible, like our calendar.

 

USEFUL JAPANESE
  • Japanese paper = 和紙 (Washi), Art of paper folding = 折り紙 (Origami).
  • Hotel Niwa Tokyo = 庭のホテル東京 (Niwa-no-hotelu-Tokyo), Tokyo = 東京.

New tour in Tokyo: “Insight Into Art: Origami? Shinto?”

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We launched the Yes in Japan original walking tour in Tokyo “Insight Into Art: Origami? Shinto?” (reference W14B) without introducing it in this travel blog. Today is the day 🙂 Our team strongly recommends you this new 2~2½ hours walk in English if you love Japanese art, traditions and religion.

Insight Into Art: Roof of a Shinto shrine, statue of a guardian dog and lanterns in Tokyo.

Feel the Japanese artistic sense through traditional and modern paper-based creations and through diverse religious designs… We will visit a dedicated centre and an exciting Shinto shrine where you may see many types of colourful “Washi” handmade paper, origami, Japanese paper dolls, Asian cut paper, statues of gods and horses, translucent and golden lanterns (wonderful when lit up at night)…

Insight into art: Crane-shaped origami at an origami centre in Tokyo in 2014.

Calendar for April 2014: Monday (09:30), Tuesday (16:30) and Thursday (16:30) with departures from the nice Hotel Niwa Tokyo. Please follow the link below to get up-to-date information and book this tour online.

Enjoy beautiful Japan while feeling its deep culture!

 

USEFUL JAPANESE
  • Art of paper folding = 折り紙 (Origami), Japanese paper = 和紙 (Washi).
  • Shinto shrine = 神社 (jinja).
  • Hotel Niwa Tokyo = 庭のホテル東京 (Niwa-no-hotelu-Tokyo), Tokyo = 東京.

Find true love at Tokyo-daijingu Shinto shrine with Japanese girls!

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Natural and mystic island in a modern district of Tokyo, Tokyo-daijingu is reputedly the shrine where the first Shinto wedding occurred. We arrived there under a blue sky this warm afternoon (15℃) to celebrate Spring (traditionally starting today in Japan) and the Year of the Horse!

Entrance of Tokyo-daijingu Shinto shrine.

Among the trees near the entrance, a pink-blue-green dragon greeted us for the purification ritual, providing holy water to cleanse our hands and mouth. Next, we glanced at the red and purple flags, climbed a few steps then stepped through wooden-golden gates. The wooden roof immediately caught our attention with its characteristic shape and golden ornaments shining over the blue sky.

Japanese girl drinking holy water before Tokyo-daijingu's dragon.

Quietly queueing behind numerous Japanese girls come to pray to find true love, we had the time to examine votive plaques decorated with horses; some beautifully reflected the sunlight!

Horse on a votive plaque at Tokyo-daijingu Shinto shrine.

Approaching the main hall, we could hear coins thrown into wooden boxes as offerings and hand claps preceding or following silent prayers. Our turn came, we glimpsed a few Japanese attending a Shinto ceremony in the hall, bowed, clapped our hands, prayed, clapped and bowed again…

Japanese girls praying to find true love at Tokyo-daijingu.

Afterwards, we joined a crowd of Japanese girls gathered around diverse colourful lucky charms (local speciality: find true love) and fortune slips. Sébastien left Tokyo-daijingu shrine with a light transparent lucky charm featuring a 3D horse; may it protect him well in 2014 🙂

Lucky charms at Tokyo-daijingu Shinto shrine.

USEFUL LINKS

 

USEFUL JAPANESE
  • Tokyo = 東京, Tokyo-daijingu = 東京大神宮.