Go old-school with our guide to the seven best shitamachi traditional neighbourhoods to explore With its glittering ...

Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today. From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The ...

TOKYO -- Many people prayed for prosperous and safe business operations throughout the year at Kanda Myoujin shrine in the Japanese capital's Chiyoda Ward on Jan. 6, the first workday of 2025 for ...

Each of these temples and shrines offers a ... blossom trees during the sakura season. The temple is also an important Buddhist pilgrimage site. Located in Tokyo's Yoyogi Park, Meiji-Jingu is ...

TOKYO (AP) — Dozens of people soaked and splashed themselves in painfully icy cold water on Saturday in a pool at a Tokyo shrine, adhering to Japanese tradition to purify the soul and pray for ...

A scantily clad shrine parishioner throws icy cold water on himself during the annual cold-endurance festival at Kanda Myojin Shinto shrine in Tokyo, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, a traditional ...