Imado Jinja (今戸神社) is a small Shinto shrine located in the Asakusa area about 15 minutes by walking from Asakusa station. Its history dates back to the 11th century.

Nestled on the Chita Peninsula in Aichi prefecture is Tokoname, an ancient pottery town decorated with ceramic-lined pathways and a fortune cat (Manekineko) trail.

Beware! There are many Japanese superstitions, that you might accidentally occur in Japan. So be cautious.

If there is one thing Japan is often associated with abroad, it must be a cat. But not just any cat: the little waving cat called maneki neko. Usually, at a shop’s entrance there are figures of cat with a raised paw, which is said to attract good fortune. Some cat figures are automatic lifting and lowering the paws non-stop.

Japanese talisman are sold at many places especially at religious sites like shrines and temples in Japan, some also sold at vending machines which are well-known among teenagers as a phone straps or accessories. The main purpose of Japanese lucky charm is to keep away evil spirits who want to hurt us and to protect us from bad situations.

Taking a quick walk through Setagaya ward’s alleys, I find myself at the front door of a pretty huge temple. Turns out the legendary Maneki-neko temple – Goutokuji was in the vicinity. I realized visitors were heading in the same direction, a little corner on the left hand side of the temple. Curiosity piqued, I followed them. In this case, curiosity didn’t kill the cat!