A few little-known sights in Tokyo

Today, I went to the Nihon Minka-en in Kawasaki. It's an open-air folk museum gathering 23 traditional Edo-period houses from all over Japan. The wooden construction were dismantled and reassembled to their present location in Mukogaoka and are now classified as national treasure. If you are interested in Japanese architecture or history, it's a must see as it is the only one around Tokyo. Besides, traditional thatch-roof houses are few and far between nowadays.

To get there, take the Odakyu line from Shinjuku, till Mukogaoka yuen (about 25min, 240yen). Take the South exit and walk about 10min straight in front of the station (passing the Daiei department store). The entrance is 500yen.

As I was coming back from the "Nihon Minka-en", I saw a beautiful mosque near Yoyogi-Uehara station. I checked it from near and it is indeed one of the most magnificent building I have come across in Tokyo. It is apparently the main Turkish mosque in Japan and the new edifice has just been completed 2 years ago. It is half in white marble and the interior in more luxurious than any mosque I have seen before. It is called "Tokyo Jamii". You can see pictures of it here . A map and directions to get there are also included.

How large is the muslum population in Japan, is it just a trace religion there, so to speak?

@ Maciamo

Thanks for the tip, the open air museum is on my short list of places to see next time I'm in Japan. That's a beautiful mosque, Ottoman style.

@ Luxpyre

Moved to http://forum.japanreference.com/show...=&threadid=985

Old buildings up in Sapporo are pretty boring. Better off going to Colonial America to see the real things.

Although, Hokkaido has a nice collection of churches and even a mosque I think.

@ ottoman
Hmmm, I've always wanted to go to Turkey!

http://www.dogensangha.org/images/Dojofront.jpg

"apperances may be deceptive"

http://www.dogensangha.org/images/zendo2.gif

"Can you sit down and shut up like this?"

Visit Brad Warner Sensei
at the Ida Ryogokudo Zazen Dojo
5-11-20 Minami Yawata, Ichikawa City
Chiba Prefecture, JAPAN 272
Tel: 0473-79-1596
Fax: 0473-78-6232

Source: http://www.dogensangha.org/about.htm

Hi everybody!

Mid june I'm planning a trip to japan for about 3 weeks. When I'm there I'll be in Tokyo Kyoto and Osaka.

I was wondering if anyone has any tips on places to go while I'm there. If there are spots to see that are just truly beutiful, that I could maybe take a train to and see. I want a couple days to see the natural sights and not just the major cities.

Please if you have some tips I'll be very greatful.

Not exactly in Tokyo, but a good day trip.

First built in 1126, it has 5 floors and now house an observatory at the 4th floor and a museum from the 1st to 3rd floor.

Go to Chiba city (Sobu-line) or Chiba Minato (JR Keiyo line) then take the monorail line B to Kenchou-mae 県庁前. From there it's a 300m walk Westwards (there are maps at the station). Altogether about 50min from Tokyo station.

http://shiro39.hp.infoseek.co.jp/kantou/chibajyo.jpg