Explore Tokyo guided by the most fascinating folktales
Welcome to Mapping Folktales, the place where stories meet the geography of the city. You will find here the most intriguing tales and indications on the locations connected to them.
Wishes written on small shaped kitsune at the Oji Inari shrine. New Year is considered one of the most important times of the year in Japanese culture. During this holiday period, which usually lasts a few days, Japanese people travel to visit their families and spend time together, relaxing and enjoying special traditional food. Before the New Year, families deep-clean their house to wipe away the previous year’s misfortune and worries and be ready to welcome the New Year. I
People praying at the Yushima Tenmagu shrine. The Ueno area is known for its wide park, the lively Ameyoko market, and the stunning Tōshōgū Shrine. Yet, it also offers another culturally and historically significant landmark: the Yushima Tenmangu Shrine. The fact that this temple is not often talked and written about could be particularly intriguing, once discovered that people from all over Japan travel to Ueno just to visit this precise heritage site. This shinto shrine su
Inscription of the tale at the bell site. The love story between the five headed dragon and the maiden from heaven is considered a famous legend and tale from the island of Enoshima, located near the famous city of Kamakura, Kanagawa prefecture. Enoshima (literally “Bay Island”) is a location of great historical significance, but often overshadowed by the far more known Kamakura. Not less beautiful or captivating, Enoshima has numerous local shops and delicious treats that ca
