In the Tokyo Stroll series, we take you on a trip to various locations around Japan’s capital. One of the frequent locations are shrines where our navigator Ellie adds to her goshuin collection.   In this entry, Ellie visits Azabu Hikawa Shrine which is located in the district of Azabu-Juban known for being referenced many times in the Sailor Moon series. Azabu-Juban station is the closest station to the shrine. Naoko Takeuchi, the author of Sailor Moon, actually lived in Azabu-Juban when the series was being serialised in Nakayoshi from 1991 to 1997. The shrine was used as a model for Hikawa Shrine where Rei, or Sailor Mars, worked as a shrine maiden. The shrine can be found just a 10-minute walk from the station past the rich residential area where the embassy is. It's enveloped in a bright green oasis of trees. The main shrine is a vivid vermilion. Enshrined there are the deities Susanoo-no-Mikoto―the young brother of Amaterasu, the goddess of the sun and the universe―and Yamato Takeru no Mikoto. The shrine is seen as lucky for many reasons. People pray there for increased luck, business prosperity, warding off evil, better fortune, success in life, wealth, safe childbirth, protection against misfortune, academic achievement, exam success, family safety, marriage, national security, and more. When Ellie visited the shrine was decorated for Sendai tanabata. There are many Inari shrines in Japan which are erected to worship the god Inari. There is one here too as pictured above. It was originally located at a nearby daimyo residence for the Sendai domaign Date clan during the Edo Period but was relocated to Azabu Hikawa Shrine at the beginning of the Showa Period. For this reason it has strong ties with Sendai, hence the tanabata decorations, which will be there until August 8. It was time for Ellie to head to the chozuya (also known as temizuya) to cleanse herself before praying which is part of shrine etiquette. Take the ladle with your right hand, scoop up plenty of water, and rinse your left hand first. Next, switch hands. Hold the ladle with your left hand and rinse your right. Then take the ladle with your right hand once more, pour some water into your left hand and rinse your mouth. Never bring the ladle directly to your mouth, and do not swallow the water or spit it back into the basin. There will be an area below the basin, like a bed of rocks, where you can spit the water out. After rinsing your left hand one more time, pour out any remaining water into the rocks (never back into the basin), and return the ladle. Having cleansed herself, Ellie headed to the main shrine. When praying, remember this: two bows, two claps, one bow. Straighten your posture and begin with two bows. Clap twice, pray, and bow one final time to finish. It's time for the main event. Getting that goshuin! It costs just ¥300. This goshuin includes a stamp of Azabu Hikawa Shrine as well as blue and pink Sendai tanabata decorations. It's a very colourful goshuin and is only available for a limited period of time. Not only is Azabu Hikawa Shrine loved by locals as a place of worship, but because of its Sailor Moon references. Fans flock to the shrine, as do the staff of the ongoing Sailor Moon musical.   The number of people visiting the shrine from Japan and overseas is increasing. If you're in Tokyo, make a trip to this iconic spot.     Outfit HEART HIT HAT：￥8,000　One-piece Dress：￥16,000 *all prices include tax (Aymmy in the batty girls)

In the Tokyo Stroll series, we take you on a trip to various locations around Japan's capital. One of the frequent locations are shrines. In this entry, navigator Ellie takes a stroll to Imado Shrine in the Imado area of Asakusa where the first maneki-neko, or waving cat was created during the Edo Period. The shine is said to be the birthplace of the maneki-neko. The closest station to Imado Shrine is Asakusa Station. It's about a 15 minute walk from there, but you can reach it quicker on the Megurin Bus for just ¥100. Emperor Ōjin is enshrined at Imado Shrine, as is Izanagi and Izanami, who are the central deities in Japan's creation myth and the country's first husband and wife deities. As such, the shrine is popular as a 'power spot' for successful marriage. The god of wealth and longevity and one of Asakusa's Seven Lucky Gods, Fukurokuju, is also enshrined here. The shrine is also recognised as one of Tokyo's 8 Shitamachi shrines that people make a pilgrimage to. As always, when arriving at a shrine, wash your hands at the chozuya water purification basin before heading to the main shrine. Take the ladle with your right hand, scoop up plenty of water, and rinse your left hand first. Next, switch hands. Hold the ladle with your left hand and rinse your right. Then take the ladle with your right hand once more, pour some water into your left hand and rinse your mouth. Never bring the ladle directly to your mouth, and do not swallow the water or spit it back into the basin. There will be an area below the basin, like a bed of rocks, where you can spit the water out. After rinsing your left hand one more time, pour out any remaining water into the rocks like the motion pictured above, and return the ladle. Once you've finished purifying yourself at the chomizuya, it's time to head to the main shrine. When praying, remember this: two bows, two claps, one bow. Straighten your posture and begin with two bows. Clap twice and bow one final time. Decorating the main shrine are waving cats the size of children! Their names are Nagi-chan and Nami-chan, a reference to Izanagi and Izanami. The patterned cat on the left is Nagi-chan, the male, and on the right Nami-chan, the female. There are also stone cats sat by the shrine. There's a rumour that if you set a photo of these cats to your phone's wallpaper you'll find a good matching partner for yourself! Generally, it's said that waving cats with their right paw raised are for good financial luck while cats with their left paw in the air are beckoning humans. Nagi-chan and Nami-chan have their right paws raised. At Imado Shrine, it's thought that it's easier to call someone over with your dominant hand, and that people and money are interlinked, so even though they have their right paws up these waving cats are good for finding a match. There are cats scattered all over the shrine grounds, so you're sure to feel your heart warmed and healed simply by walking around. The ema wooden plaques are an eye-catching sight around the grounds, packed together tightly around the sacred tree and around the chomizuya. Round-shaped ema aren't seen very often, they are normally a square shape with a tip at the top. Ema are used for writing on your prayers and wishes. 'Round' in Japanese is en (円) which is a homophone also meaning 'destiny' (縁). The round-shaped ema originate from the idea of a sense of harmony and peace in life with nothing sticking out, i.e. a circle has no edges. To ensure your destiny, when you pray, write on the ema with a red string illustration around it, and when your prayer is fulfilled, write on the one with the kimono. Once your prayers are all done, it's time to head to the confer area. They have many things on display, including ema, waving cats, lucky charms and more. Ellie gets herself a goshuin stamp for ¥300. The goshuin stamp at Imado Shrine is waving cats and Fukurokuju. They sell original goshuincho stamp books at the shrine with waving cat designs. There's pink, blue and navy and they're all very cute. If you're thinking of starting to collect goshuin at shrines and temples around Japan then you should definitely visit Imado Shrine first. There's several different omamori charms too, including the regular designs as well as round designs. Just like the ema, the round designs are made to represent no 'edges' in your life, just harmony. They're all ¥800 and each have the same effect. The pink one is limited-edition and has hearts embroidered on the front and back♡ The limited-edition designs change on a whim which many people look forward to. Imado Shrine is also said to be the place where sword master Souji Okita met his fate, so if you're a history buff be sure to check out the gravestone.   Imado Shrine is a must-visit while sightseeing in Asakusa. It has a happy aura to it thanks to the clowder of waving cats around. You can also see Tokyo Skytree from the grounds.     Model: Ellie Photographer: Haruka Yamamoto Writer: Sayoko Ishii Translator: Joshua Kitosi-Isanga

In this featured series, we introduce you to ‘power spots’ and goshuin at shrines on the outskirts of Tokyo. Today, we’ll take a look at Onden Shrine, one of the locations where “MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON FESTIVAL 2018 in SHIBUYA” will take place, Japan’s biggest inbound event set to hit Shibuya and Harajuku on March 24^th and 25^th. Ellie visited the shrine to learn about the manners and etiquette behind praying at shrines in Japan.   The Waterwheel at Onden (Katsushika Hokusai, Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji, Reproduction)   Onden Shrine is located just a 10-minute walk from both Shibuya Station and Harajuku Station via the JR Yamanote Line or 7-minutes from Meiji-Jingumae Station via the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line. It has been enshrined in Harajuku for more than 400 years where it has watched over the area. The area around Onden has a long history. In the Edo Period, the flowing Onden River was used for rice cultivation. This historical background is depicted together with Mount Fuji in Katsushika Hokusai’s Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji.   Deities enshrined at Onden Shrine include Omodaru no Kami and Ayakashikone no Kami. These deities give blessings for marriage ties between husband and wife, as well as in blessing and improved skill in art. The picture above is of Mutsuko Funada who lectured Ellie on the manners and etiquette of worship. You too can use this opportunity to learn together with Ellie.   Shrines are sacred places. Upon visiting one, be sure to bow once at the torii gate. Keep in mind that the center of the path up to a shrine is where the gods walk, so it’s  best to walk at the edge of the path rather than directly down the middle.   Next, you must cleanse yourself at the temizuya, or “water purification basin.” Take the ladle with your right hand, scoop up some water, and rinse your left hand.   Do the same again but this time switch hands – hold the ladle with your left and rinse your right hand.   Take the ladle again in your right hand, pour some water in your left hand and rinse your mouth. It’s best not to show your mouth as you do this.   Lastly, tip the ladle to drain the water. Don’t scoop water from the basin multiple times – use just one scoop of water for the entire cleansing.   手水舎で身を清めたら、いよいよ参拝です。社殿の前で軽く一礼しましょう。お賽銭を入れて鈴を鳴らして、神様にお参りに来たことをご奉告します。そして、社殿に向かって二礼、二拍手、一礼をします。           Red and white plum blossoms dotted the surroundings of the shrine. We recommend taking photos in a photogenic area like this for your social media.   It’s common at shrines to see komainu. They take on the form of an imaginary lion-dog-like animal, and it’s said that the shape of their mouth makes express the sacred ‘om’ sound. The one with its mouth opened is called Agyou and the one with its mouth closed is called Ungyou. Be sure to check them out when you visit a shrine.   There is also an Inari shrine at the grounds which is home to the deity of agriculture, industrial manufacturing and commerce, so be sure to pray to them all collectively.   Today’s main mission was also a success – Ellie managed to collect her ‘goshuin’ shrine stamps! She received one for each shrine – the Inari shrine stamp is on the left and the Onden Shrine stamp is on the right. Both cost \300.   Onden Shrine is a site for blessings in things like marriage and beauty. It offers a lot of keywords particularly favoured by girls, so it’s definitely one to visit. There’s a range of good-luck charms for sale at the shrine, including one for marriage that’s inspired by the blooming plum blossoms in the shrine grounds, one for beauty and more, so if you’re interested you should definitely check them out. We will be holding an event called “MOSHI MOSHI ENNICHI” at “MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON FESTIVAL 2018 in SHIBUYA.” You can look forward all sorts of stalls like you’d see at a Japanese festival lined with lots of food, activities like yo-yo fishing and more! There will also be a stage where you can witness a Japanese ‘taiko’ drum performance, and there will also be a character DJ festival where DJs will dress up and perform. The bustling atmosphere of a Japanese festival is perfect to enjoy on dates, please be sure to drop by.     Outfit： Aymmy in the batty girls