Imado Shrine — Attraction in Tokyo

Imado Shrine, tucked away in the historic district of Asakusa, offers a serene escape with its understated charm and cultural significance. This Shinto shrine is known for its association with the beckoning cat, or "maneki-neko," a symbol of good fortune and prosperity.

The peaceful courtyard of Imado Shrine, adorned with subtle yet intricate details, provides a tranquil contrast to the liveliness of nearby attractions. Visitors can explore the shrine's main hall, dedicated to the deities associated with love and relationships. The serene atmosphere invites contemplation and reflection.

One of the unique aspects of Imado Shrine is the tradition of purchasing paired "maneki-neko" figurines for blessings in love and harmony. This cultural touch adds a delightful and personalized dimension to the shrine visit.

While not as bustling as some neighboring sites, Imado Shrine's quieter ambiance and cultural significance make it a hidden gem for those seeking a more intimate connection with Tokyo's spiritual heritage. It's a place to pause, appreciate the subtleties of Japanese spirituality, and perhaps leave with a token of...

This little shrine is said to be the birthplace of the Maneki Neko “beckoning cat” or “lucky cat” you now see all across Japan!

The shrine has cute cat decorations all through the shrine including small decorations in their garden, cats on the ema wish boards, and two big maneki neko inside of the shrine. They also sell lots of charms with cats on them and their goshuin (temple seal) features cats too.

The shrine isn’t very big so 10-15 minutes is more than enough to see it all. But it’s not far from Sensoji and Asakusa so if you like cats and have the energy for a short walk I would recommend swinging by! Plus isn’t not nearly as crowded as the Sensoji area is so you can have a more relaxing and quite shrine visit. There are also a few benches on the shrine grounds where you can stop and rest.

Tip: From Asakusa walk up along the Sumidagawa riverside park for great views on...

A very small shrine located 15 min away from Asakusa station. Imado shrine is known for its many cats references and is most of the time linked to maneki-neko, but don't forget that this shrine is also dedicated to love and marriage, in case you need some luck in your love life ;) Appart from that, well, Imado shrine is a nice place. Small but peacefull, probably because cat lovers usually go to Gōtoku-ji. There's not much to enjoy even if you will see many maneki-neko references (statues, illustrations, even some very real white cats !), but I think it is still worth a visit if you are wandering...