Visiting Tokyo Temples and the Skytree

On the last day of our five-day visit to Tokyo, Japan, we visited its stunning temples at Ueno Park - the Five Storied Kaneiji Temple and the octagonal-shaped Bentendo Temple. We also stopped by the majestic Tokyo Skytree, which is now the world's tallest tower at a height of about 630 meters.

Buddhism and Shintoism are the two main religions in Japan, hence it is not surprising that temples and shrines proliferate in the country at least 4,000 of them in Tokyo alone. And though temples are houses of worship, they also offer salient information about culture, history, and the artistic element.

To this day, even with the advent of modern technology, many Japanese temples and shrines have preserved their ancient form and architecture which make them popular attractions to visitors - and yet have remained as sacred as before.

The Five-Storied Pagoda of Kaneiji Temple

This is one of the remaining buildings on the grounds of Toeizan Kaneiji Temple. The five-tiered wooden structure is 36 meters tall towering over the woods inside Ueno Zoo in Tokyo, and is symbolic of traditional Japanese architecture in the 17th century.

The pagoda was not open to the public, we just walked around the grounds of serene and green scenery and admired its historic and beautiful architecture.

Shinobazu-no-ike Bentendo Temple

This Buddhist Temple was built on an island in the middle of Shinobazu Pond in Ueno Park, dedicated to the goddess of fortune, Benzaiten.

The octagonal-shaped main structure, viewed from a distance with its vivid vermillion color, white walls, and surrounded by nature.

Although it is a small temple, it was bright and simple, with a geometric shape that was different from the other temples, a lovely place to visit.

Shinobazu Pond, reflecting nearby tall buildings can be seen on the left side of the hall.

The front of the temple features a stone wash basin where worshippers and visitors can purify themselves before approaching the deity.

The entrance to the Main Hall was covered with white paper lanterns.

At the foot of the stairs is a statue of a bearded man with the body of a coiled snake, Ugaijin.

Statue of Ugaijin, a Japanese god of harvests and fertility

Inside the Main Hall is an altar where the statue of Benzaiten was enshrined. Benzaiten has eight arms, and perhaps it is for this reason that the temple is octagonal shaped.

The center of the ceiling was painted with a dragon and the sides reflected the four seasons in Japan.

To the right of the Main Hall is a smaller structure dedicated to Daikokuten. Known as the god of five cereals, Daikokuten is one of the Lucky Gods of Japanese mythology who brings fortune and prosperity to the people of Japan.

Daikokuten Hall

People in Japan are often very grateful for their surroundings, not only to people but also to things or tools that make their lives easier. There are unique monument stones dedicated to these things at the Bentendo grounds.

Dedicated to Fugu, fish in demand for sushi even though it contains a deadly neurotoxin, in the hope that no more deaths by food poisoning

Kitchen Knife Grave

Jizo, deity of children and travelers

Has anyone of you dear Hivers been to a Japanese temple and noticed a place where there are hanging white papers?. This is called the **Omikuji **hanging place.

An omikuji is a random fortune bought by worshippers and visitors from the temple. If what is written is a bad fortune, they hang it in this place, and if it is a good one, they keep it in their wallets.

The Tokyo Skytree

This is Tokyo's and the world's tallest tower. standing at 634 meters and of futurist architecture, it is a radio tower with an observation deck that shows a panoramic view of the city.

This is the entrance to buy tickets and the elevator to go up to the viewing decks. There is a mall with a lot of clothing shops and brands to choose from as well as restaurants offering dining options.

At night, the Skytree changes color and can be seen from a distance by its antenna spire.

There are two observation decks at the Skytree, the Tembo Deck at 350 meters high and the Tembo Galeria at 450 meters. We chose the Tembo Deck which is cheaper at 2,100 yen per person.

With its glass-covered floor-to-roof, Tembo Deck provides a 360-degree panorama of Tokyo and the surrounding area.

The amazingly beautiful night view of Tokyo from Tembo Deck.

This was another day well spent, another one of our book of memories of this lovely and enchanting country. Japan is all about culture, history, technology, and modernity.

Thank you for reading.