Cat, cat, cat! Gotokuji temple where a cat awaits you

Gotokuji

Have you heard of Gotokuji Temple? Even among Tokyo residents, those who don’t live in the western part of the city might not have many opportunities to hear about it. Gotokuji Temple, nestled quietly in the middle of a residential area in Setagaya Ward, is notable for attracting many visitors from overseas. Just an ordinary temple? Not quite. Gotokuji Temple is home to an overwhelming number of cats enshrined within its grounds.

A temple full of cats “Gotokuji"

Do you know a temple called Gotokuji Temple in Setagaya, Tokyo? The feature of Gotokuji Temple is that the cat placed in the temple grounds is eye-catching. Access to Gotokuji Temple is about a 5-minute walk from Miyanoshita Station on the Tokyu Setagaya Line. Personally, I recommend accessing from Gotokuji Station on the Odakyu Line, as there are many wonderful cafes and private shops on the way from the station to Gotokuji.

Entrance with a majestic atmosphere

It takes about 5~6 minutes from Gotokuji Station on the Odakyu Line to arrive at Gotokuji. From the entrance, it was completely different from the residential area that had been used up to that point. There is a solemn atmosphere. Walk a few minutes from the entrance to the precincts! When I went, it was 3 days, but this sunny sky in Japan and the atmosphere of the temple are the best! The inside of the precincts is also compact, but it has an atmosphere and is also wonderful. I wonder if the bell will ring here at the end of the year.

Meet your cat

After a few minutes of wandering around the precincts、、、 I noticed that the percentage of “foreigners" was high. Aren’t there a lot of people from China, Asia, Westerners, and other foreigners? The rate of foreigners is so high that you might think so. But how do foreigners get local information about Tokyo? It’s strange. By the way, it’s finally time to meet the cat! Behold, this extraordinary number of cats. Maneki cats of various sizes are lined up and lined up. This may indeed be popular with people overseas. Apart from the white beckoning cat, there is also a black version. In addition, it seems that you can buy this white beckoning cat at the company office, so if you are interested, please do.

Conclusion

In central Tokyo, there are sparkling cities such as Shinjuku, Shibuya, and Roppongi, but there are also many wonderful places with a local feel with few people, so if you have the opportunity, I would like you to visit it.