You might stumble across Tsukiji Hongwanji Temple exploring the area around the former Tsukiji Fish Market. This enormous Jodo Shinshu Buddhist temple is difficult to miss, with an architectural style that would seem more at home in a country like India than Japan. Step into the temple, and you’ll find even more surprises, from architectural masterpieces to Buddhist treasures from centuries past.

Hongwanji Temple wasn’t always located here in Tsukiji. First built in 1617 in the Asakusa area, it burned down 40 years later in a fire that also destroyed the keep of Edo Castle. The temple was rebuilt in Tsukiji until it was destroyed again in the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923. After this disaster, the temple engaged architect Ito Chuta, who was responsible for designing many important cultural and religious sites in the early 20th century, to create the current iteration of Hongwanji.

Although the temple is home to priceless artifacts of Prince Shotoku, who was credited for bringing Buddhism to Japan, the temple holds many more surprises courtesy of Ito’s imaginative designs. Entering the main building, the view is first dominated by the shimmering gold decor of the trio of altars, which is exquisite but not uncommon for temples of this stature. Looking around, however, you’ll notice that the traditional tatami mats have been replaced by theater-style seating, and an enormous 2000-pipe organ stands over the main entrance, framing a beautiful stained-glass window. These elements are not imported from Western culture, yet somehow make the temple feel more accessible to those used to seeing them in churches and cathedrals.

More playful elements can be found in Ito’s liberal use of animals in motifs. Besides the famous lion, horse, and elephant statues on the banisters of a stairway, keep your eyes peeled for lesser-known carvings of monkeys and a gecko. You’ll find the temple bell peculiarly located outside of one of the windows of the inner plaza. This wasn’t by design, but by omission; only after the completion of the building was it realized the bell wasn’t included in the plans. From its familiar elements to its friendly clergy and staff, Hongwanji is a comfortable place to explore Tokyo’s Buddhist history in the heart of the city.

Kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken ceramics with a gold-laced lacquer, has gained popularity in recent years. Perhaps the curiosity about kintsugi has been piqued by its roots in reuse and recycling, but the practice started out much simpler than that. In the late 15th century, no materials existed to repair a prized tea bowl that would be unnoticeable, so Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa demanded that Japanese artisans devise an aesthetically pleasing way to fix a broken ceramic item.

Today, a cheap tube of super glue can fix such items invisibly, yet the appeal of kintsugi remains. The idea of highlighting rather than hiding a flaw is en vogue, so much so that people are breaking perfectly good cups and plates in order to put them back together again with a vein of gold. At Makers’ Base Tokyo, they’ll do the breaking for you and help you put it back together again.

Located in the fashionable district of Meguro, Makers’ Base is a workshop that allows artists to make the designs in their heads a reality. They can rent specialized professional tools to create their own items or engage the help of professionals to do the work for them. They also offer workshops for beginners to try new crafts, such as kintsugi.

You can bring your own broken items to Makers’ Base, but if you don’t want to lug your damaged family heirlooms halfway around the world, you can also purchase “pre-broken” items: plates, cups, tea bowls, and other small items that are easy to pack in a suitcase for a one-way trip. An experienced artisan is there to instruct and assist you in the process, which takes about two hours.

While authentic kintsugi can be expensive due to the use of rare raw materials, urushi lacquer, and real gold powder, Makers’ Base offers a cheaper alternative for beginners: food-safe adhesive and bronze powder. This allows beginners to make a smaller investment in the learning stages of the craft while still providing a finished product that looks nearly the same as traditional kintsugi.

Is kintsugi a spiritual experience? I found it to be an incredibly meditative process. The act of repairing something with kintsugi forces you to go slowly, scrutinizing every detail at each step. It takes a steady hand to create a smooth, continuous line of gold, which can only be accomplished through controlled breathing. And as I worked slowly, I had time to reflect on the metaphor of kintsugi regarding my own life, learning how to reveal my flaws instead of hiding them.

When I use the plate I repaired with kintsugi, I can run my fingers over the former crack and reflect on the same things I thought about that day. The plate didn’t start as a precious heirloom, but somehow, through kintsugi, it became one.

Mt. Mitake is a sacred mountain watching over the western border of modern Tokyo. Long ago, it was part of the Musashi Province, which included the Tokyo metropolis and parts of Saitama and Kanagawa prefectures. The mountaintop has been a place of worship for 2,000 years, but it became a particularly popular place of worship for military commanders and samurai in the Kamakura Period of the 12th and 13th centuries. During this period, the shrine began to acquire many swords and armor, donations following victories in battle.

At 929 meters above sea level, the summit is a steep climb from the city of Ome below. Fortunately, modern pilgrims to the shrine need not worry about making the ascent on foot; a scenic cable car takes visitors up the mountain in just six minutes. Along the way, watch the scenery fall away as you climb high above the Kanto Plain. At the top, you might even catch a glimpse of the entire city skyline, with the familiar silhouette of Tokyo Skytree towering over the rest.

From the cable car station at the top of the mountain, the approach to Musashi Mitake Shrine has been largely unchanged over the centuries. The narrow road is barely wide enough for a single vehicle and winds its way over hills and between shops and inns that have existed here in some form for hundreds of years. Along the route, watch for interesting stone carvings like the poor soul (or demon) entrapped under a stair or the pair of turtle-like kappa holding up a bench.

At the top of the last flight of stairs, you’ll be greeted by the regal form of the vermillion-painted Musashi Mitake Shrine. Just below the shrine stands the two-storied treasure hall, where many of the artifacts left as offerings by samurai can be viewed during operating hours.

Like Mt. Takao, another popular mountain in western Tokyo, the area surrounding the shrine is filled with hiking trails with beautiful scenes of natural beauty. As Mt. Mitake is less known and slightly less convenient to access, you’ll find far fewer people along the trails here if you’re seeking a little solitude. One favored destination is the “Rock Garden,” a narrow valley of lush forest, mossy rocks, and waterfalls, which takes less than an hour to hike to from the shrine.

Mt. Mitake is also a perfect place to take in the sunrise, although accessing the top of the mountain in the early morning is challenging as the cable cars do not run that early. Fortunately, about two dozen minshuku, small, casual inns for travelers still operate atop the mountain. Enjoy a simple home cooked meal, a comfortable futon, and a hot bath, and wake up early to see a spectacular sunrise over Tokyo to the east.

Although places like Mt. Mitake seem far removed from the central city, reaching it on JR EAST trains is easy and convenient. The Tokyo Wide Pass is a valuable discount pass that can be used to get to Musashi Mitake Shrine and other places beyond the city limits.

Visitors searching for an interesting way to explore the beauty of the Saitama countryside can look no further than the Chichibu Fudasho, a pilgrimage route through the mountains and valleys northwest of central Tokyo. This 100-kilometer-long route connects 34 of the area’s Kannon Buddhist temples, some of which were founded nearly 800 years ago. Pilgrimages were a popular way for people to show their devotion to Buddism throughout the Edo Period, and the Fudasho was popular with Edoites for its proximity and relatively short length, which could be completed within a week.

Today, you’re more likely to encounter casual hikers than pilgrims, although you may see a few of the latter in their white garments along the way. Don’t take the idea of a pilgrimage too seriously; you can select a small section and make a day hike out of it or take a few days to complete the whole route by car or bicycle rather than on foot. The beauty of a pilgrimage in Japan is in its flexibility.

As you travel, you’ll be able to absorb the rich spiritual history of the area, as each of the 34 temples is unique from all the others. Some have architecture or decorative features created by master artisans, while others hold ancient Buddhist treasures in their dark depths.

Chichibu area, where the 34 temples are located, was once an industrial center for textile production. Although its days as an economic powerhouse have passed, evidence of Chichibu’s prosperity can still be seen in well-preserved neighborhoods around the city. The future is also looking bright for the city, with local products gaining international recognition, such as branded whisky, distilled at Chichibu Brewery.

It takes some effort to reach Takedera Temple by car, about 30 minutes along a winding road into the mountains northwest of Hanno city, Saitama. One can only imagine the effort it once took pilgrims to visit in order to worship Gozu Tenno, the “Ox-headed Heavenly King.” A hulking statue of this unusual deity donated from China portrays Gozu Tenno as a muscular axe-wielding man. Several other iterations of his likeness are displayed around the forested grounds of the temple.

Takedera means “Bamboo Temple,” and one can certainly understand its origin when you stroll through the sprawling bamboo forest near the main buildings. Yet the name “temple” is a bit perplexing, as you will notice many torii gates, including ones made from bamboo. Torii are associated with shrines, not temples, and during the Meiji Era (about 150 years ago), the government forced religious sites like Takedera to either become fully Buddhist or fully Shinto.

Nobody knows the reason why Takedera was exempted from this separation, but today, it remains the only site in eastern Japan which is both Buddhist and Shinto in nature. Even the head priest, Ono Ryoko, just smiles and shrugs when asked about Takedera’s unique history.

Today, visitors can enjoy spiritual sites of both religions, including the ancient thatched roof honsha, the main shrine, which is a short climb up the mountain. A bit farther still is the enormous Buddhist bell that rings clearly across the mountaintop when struck.

Apart from its historical uniqueness and beautiful natural surroundings, there is one more reason to visit Takedera: to try an incredible meal of shojin ryori, the vegan and medicinal cuisine eaten by Buddhist monks. The staff prepares a feast of seasonal vegan dishes that are flavorful and filling without using animal products. In the early winter, we enjoyed tempura made with edible leaves and vegetables foraged from the mountain. In the spring, visitors will enjoy young and tender bamboo shoots from the forest. Each dish is beautifully prepared and served in a unique way symbolizing its connection with nature.

There are hundreds of spiritual destinations around Tokyo to explore, which is made easier with discount train passes from JR EAST. The JR TOKYO Wide Pass covers countless destinations outside of the city limits and can be purchased by any holder of a non-Japanese passport, including foreign residents of Japan. So whether you crave the spiritual high of climbing sacred Mt. Fuji or standing in awe of the majestic architecture of Nikko’s Toshogu Shrine, the JR Tokyo Wide Pass has you covered. The N’EX Tokyo round-trip ticket provides visitors using Narita Airport an 18% discount off regular round-trip fares between Narita and Tokyo Station (as of February 2025). Both discount passes offer flexibility and savings, so check them out before exploring Tokyo’s spiritual side and beyond.