The Shrine Within the City

At first glance, the Hie Shrine in Asakasa could be mistaken for Kyoto's Fushimi Inari Taisha. But, this shrine lies in the middle of a busy city, and is much quieter and peaceful than it's Kyoto counterpart.

Just a 10 minute walk from the Asakasa station, I stumbled upon this temple in the middle of the week. It was a pleasant refuge from the busy streets around it - quiet, extremely peaceful, few visitors, and no instagram photoshoots to be found.

The few persons I came across would quickly quietly pay their respect and went about their day.

I usually don't venture into the prayer area of most shrines and temples, out of respect, but I did take a moment to admire the architecture and craftsmanship of the surrounding area.

This place is truly a quiet gem.