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shrines and temples

Kanazawa’s historic “ninja temple” is packed full of hidden rooms, pitfalls, and more

With its rich history, visitors to Japan have no lack of interesting sites to see, from imperial palaces to castles, to the seemingly endless shrines and temples all across the country. Each spot has its own particular attraction that draws tourists in for a visit, from the giant Kaminarimon lantern at Tokyo’s Sensoji Temple, to the literally thousands of torii shrine gates at Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto.

But here’s one temple you don’t want to forget to add to your itinerary: nicknamed the “Ninja Temple“, Myouritsu Temple is not just your ordinary run-of-the-mill Buddhist sanctuary. Full of secrets and surprises, adults and children alike are sure to enjoy what this special place has to offer.

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Tokyo’s sushi spirit shrine, where the souls of seafood slumber

The other day, I woke up and immediately had a craving for sushi. In and of itself, that’s not really anything remarkable, since “Man, I could really go for some good sushi,” is one of my first fully formed thoughts on just about any given morning.

Not one to deny my heart its truest desires, I headed to Tokyo’s Tsukiji, home of the world’s biggest seafood market and some of Japan’s best sushi restaurants. I ducked into one and polished off a bowl of sliced tuna and salmon, and, still wrapped in the lingering effects of my food coma, went for a rambling stroll around the neighborhood.

Since I wasn’t looking for food anymore, my eyes ended up being drawn to a shrine I’d never noticed before. I stepped onto the grounds, where I found a monument to the souls of all the fish whose lives supply Japan with sushi.

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