Enjoy🎉TOJI-SAI (Solstice🔥Shrine Festival) w/ FREE SAKE, Parks & History Tour !

LET'S CELEBRATE the "TOJI-SAI", or Toji Matsuri, Winter Solstice Festival!
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Held at the beautiful Ana-Hachimangu Shrine & nearby Hojo-ji Temple in the Waseda area, this is a unique celebration when Japanese people gather to enjoy outdoor activities despite chilly weather.
(I'll bring some FREE HOT SAKE for you to enjoy!)
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At the Issan Shrine, something "cool" may happen called hiwatari.
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Here, visitors walk barefoot on a path in the middle of a bonfire!
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This captivating Solstice tradition is like a magical walk, which symbolizes cleaning up the bad stuff from the past year, while hoping for a healthy family in the coming year.
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In addition, people can buy a unique charm called Ichiyo Raifuku. It’s a spiritual item that can turn bad things into good things, while helping visitors stay warm in winter!
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Furthermore, the matsuri offers a vibrant winter market featuring stalls selling seasonal products such as yuzu citrus & hot food.
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Because Winter Solstice marks the longest night of the year & daylight becomes longer from the next day, the shrine issues a charm on which is inscribed "Ichiyo Raifuku" (Swing from the negative to the positive!)
People make long lines to purchase the amulet issued by the shrine.
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The tradition, which continues from the Edo period (1600-1868) to today is observed only at this shrine!
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Since the charm is believed to bring prosperity & good business those in need of money, visiting the shrine & getting the charm is an indispensible event of the year-end in this area.
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After visiting Ana-Hachiman Shrine and Tojo-ji Temple, we'll take a walk through Waseda towards the Kanda riverside to visit some superb gardens, fine historic sites & a couple of excellent museums with FREE admission!
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Among the places we may visit: Mizu-inari Shrine, Ōkuma Garden, Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum, Higo-Hosokawa Garden, Sui Shrine, Munatsuki-zaka Slope, Sekiguchi Bashoan - (Former Matsuo Basho Residence!), Entsukaku (Former Chikurin-ji Three-Story Pagoda) the excellent Aizu Museum & MORE!*

LET'S EAT, DRINK AND ENJOY THE FESTIVITIES!
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(I'll bring some FREE HOT SAKE for the members to enjoy!)

👇🏻WE SHOULDN'T SAY TOO MUCH, THE DETAILS ARE DOWN BELOW!*
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(NOTE: This will be a shorter Meetup than some of our events, so you will have the rest of the day for your own activities.)
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Our Meetups are family-friendly, so well-behaved kids are welcome!
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We work hard to plan interesting & unique meetups for you, so please be generous with your contributions between ¥1000-¥5000!
(As much as you can afford, because we truly appreciate you!)
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>>PLEASE INVITE YOUR FRIENDS TO JOIN OUR MEETUP GROUP!<<
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THIS MEETUP WILL BE FUN, SO LET'S ALL GO! ~ KERRY D. 😎


ANA-HACHIMANGU Shinto Shrine was founded in 1062, when Minamoto-no-Yoshie brought Hachiman, the deity of the shrine, to this area. 1641, when the south side of the shrine hill was excavated, an ancient tunnel tomb was revealed & a gilt bronze statue of the Medicine Buddha, Amida Nyorai, was found inside, giving name to the shrine.
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The shrine, known for good luck in business & money, is among the most visited shrines in Tokyo. In 1945, an air raid destroyed most of the buildings. In 1961, reconstruction work began on the main shrine as part of the 900th anniversary of the shrine’s founding. The deity is Emperor Ojin (Hondawake no Mikoto/Hindawake no Mikoto), his father & mother, Emperor Nakai and Empress Jingu (Princess Kichonatarashihime).
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HOJO-JI: A Shingon Temple founded in 1641. The principal image is Sho Kanzeon Bodhisattva. It was built as a Betto-ji* temple of Ana-hachimangu Shrine.
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The name of the temple comes from "Hojoue" a ritual in which captured fish & birds are released into the wild to warn against killing them. Currently, the pond in the corner of the main hall is used as a release pond & fish are released every year on sports days.
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The temple path passes 88 official temples & numerous other sacred sites along the way where Kobo Daishi is believed to have a trainee.
It is said that stepping on the sand will bring good fortune just as if you were a Henro (pilgrim) on that pilgrimage of the 88 temples in Shikoku!
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HIGO-HOSOKAWA GARDENS: "This Japanese garden utilizes the former estate of the Hosokawa family, the feudal lords of the Kumamoto domain. This is a strolling pond garden that takes advantage of the sloping terrain of the Mejirodai plateau, offering a three-dimensional view. Some of the pathways are designed with stepping stones typical of Heian period aristocratic residences, utilizing the plateau's spring water in a "yarimizu" style, which is characteristic of this garden."
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MIZU-INARI Shrine is believed to heal eye diseases!
It is said that in 1702, sacred water gushed out from the roots of the sacred tree Omuku. At that time, many people in Edo were suffering from eye problems, so it became very popular due to its effectiveness in treating eye diseases.
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Mizu-Inari-sama enshrines Okuninushi no Mikoto, also known as the god of prosperous business, especially, "water business" & firefighting!
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The shrine oracle at that time said, "Those who believe in me will be spared from fire disasters. Goats are also kept on the premises!
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*BETTO-JI Temple was a Buddhist temple attached to a Shinto shrine when the syncretism of Shinto and Buddhism was permitted prior to the Edo period. The name Betto-ji came from the betto (also known as shaso) who served these temples & conducted Shinto rituals according to Buddhist practices such as the reciting of sutras in front of Shinto kami. The term betto-ji is synonymous with jingu-ji, jingo-ji, gu-ji and miya-dera.
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This event is perfect for anyone interested in East Asian History and Culture, Japanese Food, or simply enjoying life while making new international friends.