Nezu Shrine

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  • Nezu
根津神社
根津神社Nezu Shrine, one of the key venues for the Nezu-Sendagi Shitamachi Festival
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Time Out says

Dating from 1706, Nezu Shrine is an excellent example of large scale Edo-era shrine architecture. Featuring superbly contrasting vermilion and gold lacquered ‘gongen-zukuri’ style buildings, its designation as an Important Cultural Property seems justified. Also competing for attention is ‘Tsutsuji-en’, a 2,000 tsubo (around 6,600 square metres) Japanese azalea garden in the shrine’s precincts. Housing around 50 varieties of 3,000 azaleas, the garden attracts numerous sightseers each spring. Trivia buffs take note: this venerable shrine was first established in Sendagi around 1,900 years ago, and only transferred to Nezu to commemorate the fifth shogun Tsunayoshi Tokugawa’s choosing of his successor.

Details

Address:
1-28-9 Nezu, Bunkyo-ku
Tokyo
Transport:
Nezu Station or Sendagi Station (Chiyoda line), Todaimae Station (Namboku line)

What’s on

Bunkyo Azalea Festival

For 11 months of every year, Nezu Shrine doesn't attract all that much attention from the outside world. Then spring rolls around, and its remarkable crop of azaleas burst into bloom. The shrine precincts are home to some 3,000 azalea plants – roughly 100 varieties in total, including rare breeds such as the black karafune flower – and has to find space for at least as many flower aficionados during the month-long Bunkyo Tsutsuji Matsuri.  Another highlight of Nezu Shrine is its red torii gate tunnel, similar to the ones at Kyoto's Fushimi Inari Shrine but in a much smaller scale.

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