Nezu Jinja
By Valerie Kor
The origin of Nezu Shrine dates back to a mythical world. According to legend, the second son of the 12th Emperor, Yamato Takeru, established this shrine and prayed for a victory when he went east to fight. The current sanctuary was constructed by the 5th Shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi in 1706. From then, this area was developed as a “temple town” serving Nezu Shrine, (It had been a mixture of Shintoism and Buddhism before the two religions were separated during the Meiji Period) and was full of flourishing restaurants or bars. During WWII, the Great Tokyo Air Raid destroyed the entire city. But luckily, this neighborhood survived. And so, lots of old buildings including Nezu Shrine still remain today.
In April, thousands of azaleas come out on the west slope of Nezu Shrine. It is just stunning! Nezu Shrine is constantly visited by worshipers throughout the year. But especially in the azalea season, huge numbers of people come here.
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