Join a guided tour of the Gotokuji Temple in Tokyo. Learn about the history of the temple and the legend of the beckoning cats. Take pictures with the many cat statues and dedicate a cat statue to the temple with your prayers.
Meet your guide in front of the ticket gate of Odakyu Gotokuji Station. Begin with a walk from the station gate to the temple. Gotokuji Temple is a historic temple that has been located here for more than 400 years. This quiet Zen Buddhist temple owes its name to the many cat statues that line its grounds.
Legend has it that once, when a samurai passed by the temple, a cat invited the samurai into the temple, allowing him to escape a thunderstorm. Because of this legend, it is believed that the cats in this temple help people to escape from difficulties and invite good fortune, and many statues of cats are lined up on the temple grounds to invite happiness.
Have the opportunity to visit a Zen temple with a guide, take pictures with many cats, and dedicate a cat statue to the temple with your prayers.
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