A Visit to Nezu Jinja (Shrine), Part 1

Nezu Jinja lies in Tokyo’s Bunkyō ward, and has since Shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi ordered the shine moved to its current location in 1705. The shrine is perhaps best known for its extensive azalea garden, which erupt in color every April (there’s even an azalea festival at the shrine each spring), but I visited for the first time last December and can attest it’s worth a visit in any season. According to legend, the twelfth Japanese emperor, Prince Yamato Takeru, founded Nezu Jinja during the first century. The shrine is dedicated chiefly to Susanō-no-mikoto, Shintō kami (god) of storms and the sea – though