One of my favorite places to visit in Tokyo is the Gotokuji Temple. Many people might know this as the ‘Lucky Cat Temple’ for all the beckoning cat statues. There is lots of folklore and history behind the beckoning cat aka Maneki Neko and I highly recommend reading about it - its so interesting!
To get to this Temple it’s an easy subway train ride. We left from Asakusa station and it was a $3.00 in total cost and about 50 minutes. We planned visiting here first in the morning and then hop back onto the subway line and spending the day in Shibuya.
But more about Gotokuji Temple. Instagram and TikTok has made this area quite a tourist spot when in reality its tucked away into a quiet neighborhood in a residential part of Tokyo. With that being said, if you plan to visit this shrine please be mindful of the locals and the homes around here. Its a very quiet area and to be honest, if I ever moved to Tokyo its a spot I would consider living at. There’s also a cemetery but for respect we didn’t walk into it (some people did which is fine but once again be very respectful to the graves).
After we made our blessings we went into the shop where you can purchase a Neko. PLEASE NOTE - due to the over tourism of the area you’re only allowed to purchase one Neko. There was many signs asking people to take their Neko home with them since the Temple is flooded with statues already. We decided each time we visit Japan we will stop by here to purchase a new Neko for our home. Reading online the Neko will bring good fortune for shop keepers which is why a lot of small businesses in Japan has one of these Neko’s at the entryway of their shops.
Below is a few photos from our visit and I highly recommend checking out my Instagram page for a video tour of what the area is like!
If you’d want to see more about Japan we’ll be returning October/November 2024. My Instagram will feature LIVE and in the moment posts so please follow along! There’s also highlights from my previous trips.
*Please note this is free to enter. There are many tour groups that will take you here but if you have google maps and carve out some time to learn the subway lines - you can visit here with no tour guide needed! :D
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