Sam Lin's Reviews

Chigogafuchi

Chigogafuchi is a rocky, wave-cut platform on the southwestern side of Enoshima, formed by the uplift caused by the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake. Its name comes from Shiragiku, a young acolyte who trained at Shōjō-in, a temple associated with Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine in Kamakura. According to legend, while visiting Enoshima on a pilgrimage, Shiragiku caught the attention of Jikyū, a high-ranking monk from Kōtoku-an at Kencho-ji Temple. Overwhelmed by the monk's feelings, Shiragiku threw himself into the sea from this spot.

• Kanagawa
• Nature Spots

Miyako Island

The Miyako Archipelago is located in the middle of the Ryukyu Arc that arcs from Okinawa Island to Ishigaki and Iriomote Islands. Miyako Island is the main island among eight islands of various sizes, including Ikema Island and Ogami Island.

• Miyako, Yaeyama (Ishigaki Island), Kume Islands
• Famous Places

Yasaka Shrine

Yasaka Shrine enshrines Susanoo-no-Mikoto, Kushiinadahime-no-Mikoto, and Yahashira-no-Mikoto. It is the head shrine of approximately 2,300 Yasaka shrines and other related shrines throughout Japan that enshrine Susanoo-no-Mikoto. The shrine is said to have originated in 656, when a deity from Mount Gozu in the ancient Korean kingdom of Silla was enshrined here.

• Gion, Higashiyama, Yamashina
• Shrines & Temples

Lake Shinji sunset Spot (Torupa)

A 300m-long promenade was set up along the east side of national highway route 9 so visitors can enjoy the sunset over Lake Shinji, one of Japan's Top 100 Sunset Views. Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport assigned the location as the Parking Lot to Capture the Sunset (Torupa) and people love to take a snap here.

• Shimane
• Tourist Attractions

Kodai-ji Temple

A Zen temple of the Kennin-ji school of Rinzai Buddhism, located at the foot of Kyoto’s Higashiyama mountains northeast of Hokan-ji Temple, known for the Yasaka Pagoda. After Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s death, his wife Nene (Kita no Mandokoro) moved from Osaka to Kyoto and became a Buddhist nun. In 1606 (Keicho 11), she founded Kodai-ji Temple (formally known as Kodai-ji Jusho Zen Temple), one of the most renowned temples in the Higashiyama area, to pray for Hideyoshi’s soul and serve as her own burial place.

• Gion, Higashiyama, Yamashina
• Shrines & Temples

Itsukushima Shrine

Itsukushima Shrine stands on the island of Itsukushima, which is also known as the island of gods. It is said that the shrine was founded in 593 by Saeki no Kuramoto, and the 3 goddess “Ichikishimahime-no-Mikoto,” “Tagorihime-no-Mikoto,” and “Tagitsuhime-no-Mikoto” are enshrined there. Famous for granting a wide list of benefits, these three goddesses as are worshipped as the goddesses of the sea, transportation, fortune, and art.

• Miyajima, Miyahama Onsen, Otake
• Shrines & Temples

Lake Biwa

Lake Biwa, which belongs to the first-grade Yodo River system and is located in the center of Shiga Prefecture, occupies an area of about 670 k㎡, or about one-sixth of the prefecture's land area, and is the largest lake in Japan in terms of both area and water storage capacity, with 27.5 billion tons of water pouring in through rivers from the surrounding mountains of Ibuki, Suzuka, and Hira, all of which are over 1,000 meters high.

• Shiga
• Nature Spots

Kinkaku-ji

During the Muromachi Period, the 3rd Ashikaga shogun, Yoshimitsu, made an abode in this temple called Kitayamadono. It was named as Rokuon-ji after the posthumous name of Yoshimitsu. He had also built Shokoku-ji Temple, and Rokuon-ji, his retirement home, was turned into a branch temple of Shokoku-ji.

• Kinkakuji, Kamigamo
• Shrines & Temples