代々木上原

代々木上原は観光客は少なくて、きれいな近所なので、散歩するのいい所だと思います。

Yoyogi Uehara is actually quite calm neighborhood, not so crowded with tourists, a great place to take a walk.

It also has a very picturesque atmosphere, kind of resembles Japanese movies placed in Tokyo, when they show daily life.

You can easily access this neighborhood by taking the Yamanote line (circular train line that goes around the main station in Tokyo).

The reason I was at Yoyogi Uehara is to visit a famous ramen place named Tsuta. But more about that later…

Pagoda and Torii

Five-story pagoda at Sensoji (Asakusa - Tokyo)

Pagodas (パゴダ) are common structures in Buddhist temple (お寺). I think the most famous, besides this one, is the Yasaka Pagoda (Kyoto)

Torii at Meiji Shrine (Harajuku - Tokyo)

Toriis (鳥居) are common in Shinto Shrines (神社) and represent the moment you enter a holy space. The most famous torii, besides this one, is the floating torii of Itsukushima Shrine (Miyajima)

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The differences between Buddhist Temples and Shinto Shrines may seen very subtle, especially for a foreign like me. I might say that even for Japanese people, Buddhism and Shintoism don’t exactly live separately