Site Overlay
Shrine

Surprising areas rich in cultural properties

Surprising areas rich in cultural properties   Table of Contents 1: What are National Treasures and National Important Cultural Properties? 2: Ranking of National Treasures and National Important Cultural Properties by number 3: Prefectures rich in national treasures and cultural properties not visited by foreign visitors 4: The best ‘Little‐known good spots’ for travelers seeking a local trip or a trip to an unfamiliar place   1: What are National Treasures and National Important Cultural Properties? We compiled the National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties by prefecture according to the Agency for Cultural Affairs‘ website. The Agency for Cultural Affairs designates national treasures as being of particular value from the perspective of world culture. Important cultural properties are also defined as ‘important cultural properties.’ National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties are categorized as ‘buildings’ and ‘arts and crafts.’ 1,132 National Treasures and 13,377 Important Cultural Properties (including the number of National Treasures) had been designated as of 1 April 2023. Of the ‘National Treasures,’ 230 are defined as ‘Buildings’ and 902 ‘Arts and Crafts.’ Of the ‘Important Cultural Properties,’ 2,557 are designated as ‘Buildings’ and 10,820 as ‘Arts and Crafts’ (including the number of National Treasures). As a non-specialist inread moreSurprising areas rich in cultural properties

Katori jingu shrine

Local trains in Ibaraki Prefecture (Kashima Rinkai Tetsudo) (1)

Local trains in Ibaraki Prefecture (Kashima Rinkai Tetsudo) (1) Table of contents 1: Naritasan Shinshoji Temple 2: Katori Jingu Shrine 3: Kashima Jingu Shrine 4: Kashima Rinkai Tetsudo 5: Hitachi Station, Mito Station   1: Naritasan Shinshoji Temple I visited shrines and temples in Chiba and Ibaraki prefectures in late April. I took the Kashima Rinkai Railway to Hitachi Station. If you leave Tokyo early in the morning, a day trip is well worth the effort. First, I went to Naritasan Shinshoji Temple. Naritasan Shinshoji Temple is popular with foreign tourists because of its proximity to Narita Airport. I saw several foreign tourists on the day I visited. Shinshoji Temple boasts many worshippers, with the number of Hatsumode visitors ranking second in Japan after Meiji Jingu Shrine. However, when I visited early in the morning (after 8 am), there were hardly any worshippers, and I could see the temple at leisure. The precincts of Shinshoji Temple are extensive and vary in height. The temple has a theme park atmosphere due to the various monasteries. I could understand why it attracts so many worshippers, including foreign tourists. The temple grounds are accessible to visitors in wheelchairs, as lifts are installed throughoutread moreLocal trains in Ibaraki Prefecture (Kashima Rinkai Tetsudo) (1)