Category: Religious Sites

 

Some of man’s greatest achievements have been created in the name of religion. I like visiting religious sites and expanding my understanding of humanity’s need for faith throughout history. I share those experiences here. 

A Nikko Day Trip From Tokyo – Taking a Tour Versus Independent Travel

The shrines and temples of Nikko, one of Japan’s 21 UNESCO listed sites, are one of the many easy options for Tokyo day trips. You can do a Nikko day trip either as a tour from Tokyo, or you can go there independently. Either option has its pros and cons. Read my recommendations for a complete Nikko day trip experience.

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Toshogu Shrine in Nikko, Japan – A Kaleidoscope of Colors and Shapes

The centerpiece and most visited attraction of the Nikko UNESCO World Heritage site is the Toshogu shrine. This final resting place for Tokugawa Ieyasu is like a peacock among the pigeons, an extravagant and elaborately colorful showpiece dedicated to the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate that ruled Japan for almost 300 years.

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Photo POSTcard: Toyokuni Shrine – The Hall of One Thousand Tatami Mats

The Island of Miyajima is best known for the large floating tori gate in its harbor and for the Itsikushima shrine which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. One of the buildings that make up the Itsikushima compels is the Toyokuni Shrine which has the nick name “Hall of One Thousand Tatami Mats” because of its large size.

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PhotoPOSTcard: Beautiful Saint-Leonard-de-Noblat church

Saint-Leonard-de-Noblat is a beautiful Romanesque style church in the town by the same name in the Limousin region of central France. It is one of 78 structures in France protected under the UNESCO “Routes of the Santiago de Compestela”.  France has four historic “Ways of St. James” as the early Christian pilgrimage roads leading to the town of Santiago de Compestela in northern Spain were called. Santiago de Compestela was believed to be the burial site of St. James, and thus became a pilgrimage destination.

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