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Meet the lucky cats in suburban Tokyo: Gotokuji Walking Tour
3h30
By walk
Instant confirmation
About this activity
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Setagaya Hachimangu, 1-26-3 Miyasaka, Setagaya 156-0051 Tokyo Prefecture
Autumn matsuri held at Setagaya Hachimangu, one of the larger shrines in Setagaya Ward. Notable for the dohyo (sumo ring) set up in the grounds of the shrine and the honosumo (奉納相撲) event.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Gotokuji Temple, 2-24-7 Gotokuji, Setagaya 154-0021 Tokyo Prefecture
Gotokuji Temple is the beginning of the Kotokuin hermitage built by Kira Masatada who built Setagaya Castle in 1480. Originally it was Rinzai sect but in 1584 it became a temple of the Soto sect. There are many sights in the precincts such as the tomb of Ii Naosuke, the greatest authority of the Tokugawa shogunate in the middle of the 19th century, the three-story pagoda, the worshiping of the invincible Kannon, but the most attractive point is the good fortune beckoning cat, known as the “manekineko” to some. This lucky cat, known country-wide, is said to have been “born” here. The sight of 1,000 or more of these “cats” lined up is now one of the landscapes that represents Tokyo. It is said that the lucky cat, familiar to Japanese as a good luck symbol, is the birthplace of Gotokuji Temple. You’ll learn about the origin of the lucky cat in the guide on the day of the tour.
Duration: 35 minutes
Stop At: Shoin Shrine, 4-35-1 Wakabayashi, Setagaya 154-0023 Tokyo Prefecture
Shoinjinja Shrine was founded in 1882 with the master Yoshida Shoin at center. In the precincts, there are the tombs of Shoka Village school children including Yoshida Shoin, and the building which reproduced Shoka Village school. Mr. Yoshida Shoin, who was born in Hagi City in Yamaguchi prefecture in 1830, built the cornerstone of modern Japan as a spiritual leader of the Meiji Restoration, but it was executed in rest prison by Ii Naosuke, thus putting a close to a short life of 30 years. His philosophy, which is also called “Yamato Damashi (Japanese spirit),” influences the thought and way of thinking of contemporary Japanese people, including Ito Hirofumi, who became Prime Minister of Japan in the first cabinet. It is an interesting point of this area that the Shoinjinja Shrine that enshrines Yoshida Shoin, who ended the era of the samurai, and the Gotokuji Temple, where Ii Naosuke sleeps to protect the era of Samurai, is within walking distance.
Duration: 25 minutes
Pass By: Carrot Tower, 4-1-1 Taishido, Setagaya 154-0004 Tokyo Prefecture
The landmark of Sengenjacha in Setagaya.
Stop At: Tokyu Setagaya Line, Setagaya 154-0000 Tokyo Prefecture
You can take this local line with full of locals after the tour.
Duration: 10 minutes
Pass By: OMAKASE, Arakawa 111-0021 Tokyo Prefecture
The tour supplier of this activity.
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Show less
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Setagaya Hachimangu, 1-26-3 Miyasaka, Setagaya 156-0051 Tokyo Prefecture
Autumn matsuri held at Setagaya Hachimangu, one of the larger shrines in Setagaya Ward. Notable for the dohyo (sumo ring) set up in the grounds of the shrine and the honosumo (奉納相撲) event.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Gotokuji Temple, 2-24-7 Gotokuji, Setagaya 154-0021 Tokyo Prefecture
Gotokuji Temple is the beginning of the Kotokuin hermitage built by Kira Masatada who built Setagaya Castle in 1480. Originally it was Rinzai sect but in 1584 it became a temple of the Soto sect. There are many sights in the precincts such as the tomb of Ii Naosuke, the greatest authority of the Tokugawa shogunate in the middle of the 19th century, the three-story pagoda, the worshiping of the invincible Kannon, but the most attractive point is the good fortune beckoning cat, known as the “manekineko” to some. This lucky cat, known country-wide, is said to have been “born” here. The sight of 1,000 or more of these “cats” lined up is now one of the landscapes that represents Tokyo. It is said that the lucky cat, familiar to Japanese as a good luck symbol, is the birthplace of Gotokuji Temple. You’ll learn about the origin of the lucky cat in the guide on the day of the tour.
Duration: 35 minutes
Stop At: Shoin Shrine, 4-35-1 Wakabayashi, Setagaya 154-0023 Tokyo Prefecture
Shoinjinja Shrine was founded in 1882 with the master Yoshida Shoin at center. In the precincts, there are the tombs of Shoka Village school children including Yoshida Shoin, and the building which reproduced Shoka Village school. Mr. Yoshida Shoin, who was born in Hagi City in Yamaguchi prefecture in 1830, built the cornerstone of modern Japan as a spiritual leader of the Meiji Restoration, but it was executed in rest prison by Ii Naosuke, thus putting a close to a short life of 30 years. His philosophy, which is also called “Yamato Damashi (Japanese spirit),” influences the thought and way of thinking of contemporary Japanese people, including Ito Hirofumi, who became Prime Minister of Japan in the first cabinet. It is an interesting point of this area that the Shoinjinja Shrine that enshrines Yoshida Shoin, who ended the era of the samurai, and the Gotokuji Temple, where Ii Naosuke sleeps to protect the era of Samurai, is within walking distance.
Duration: 25 minutes
Pass By: Carrot Tower, 4-1-1 Taishido, Setagaya 154-0004 Tokyo Prefecture
The landmark of Sengenjacha in Setagaya.
Stop At: Tokyu Setagaya Line, Setagaya 154-0000 Tokyo Prefecture
You can take this local line with full of locals after the tour.
Duration: 10 minutes
Pass By: OMAKASE, Arakawa 111-0021 Tokyo Prefecture
The tour supplier of this activity.
Included
- Professional guide
Not included
- Food and drinks
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Transportation to/from attractions
Additional
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Please join us wearing shoes that are easy to walk in because you will walk the mountain paths.
- Tour duration can be extended at a rate of 5,000 yen per group, per hour, payable in cash.
- Hotel pickup will incur an additional fee of ¥5,000 per group (for hotels in Tokyo & Yokohama area)
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
Features
Tourism
85%
Cultural
80%
Sport
20%
Reviews
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This tour is exactly what I was hoping it would be. We had a great morning with our tour guide Yoshimi exploring the local area of Gotokuji and visiting the Lucky Cat Temple. We have been to Tokyo before and seek out more off the grid and local experiences when we can. This tour was new to Viator and outside the hustle and bustle of the Tokyo we know, thus why we thought it might be interesting. We are also crazy about the Lucky Cat, so thought this would be fun and lucky to see. Yoshimi, our tour guide, was so nice, knowledgable, easy to walk and talk with and continually wanted to ensure we were taken care of. She met us at the subway station on this rainy day and we spent 3.5 hours on foot exploring at a slow, relaxed pace the quaint little streets, the local little shops and activity of a regular Saturday for this community which seemed void of most tourists. More shops would most likely be open if you book this tour for the later time versus the 9AM start that we took. This tour is local, slow paced, focused on the Gotokuji community and exactly what I was hoping for. A simply lovely little morning. Thank you Yoshimi!