Imado Shrine
Imado Shrine
3.5
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
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Neighborhood: Ueno, Asakusa
Traces of the history and culture of the Edo (old Tokyo) era remain vividly in Ueno and Asakusa. Spacious Ueno Park is a great place to relax and visit a variety of different museums and galleries. At Ameyoko which starts in front of Ueno station, the grocery stores and clothing shops are crammed alongside fishmongers. It gets particularly busy at the end of the year, when many people go on shopping sprees. The town of Asakusa, developed around Sensoji temple, has many shops selling goods and clothing from old Japan, making it a great place for souvenir hunting. It's also known for various annual festivals, and the whole district gets involved with the huge Sanja Festival in May.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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3.5
202 reviews
Excellent
43
Very good
85
Average
62
Poor
3
Terrible
9
576eris
Auckland Central, New Zealand254 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
招き猫発祥地とされる今戸神社。
浅草駅から徒歩15分程かかりますが、
道中にスカイツリー、金の泡らしいが他のものに見えてならないオブジェ等が視界に入り、意外と直ぐかも。
猫の絵馬、おみくじ、巨大な招き猫♂♀が祀られており、縁結びで有名な神社です。浅草七福神の一つでも。
The god of match making is worshipped her. Also famous for its maneki neko statues.
Maneki Neko Cats is said to have originated from this shrine.
Naneki neko couple are set on display where you ring the bell, donate coins and pray...many female visit to pray for their good luck. Lovely place, not far from Asakusa Sensoji shrine, so reckon to visit there.
浅草駅から徒歩15分程かかりますが、
道中にスカイツリー、金の泡らしいが他のものに見えてならないオブジェ等が視界に入り、意外と直ぐかも。
猫の絵馬、おみくじ、巨大な招き猫♂♀が祀られており、縁結びで有名な神社です。浅草七福神の一つでも。
The god of match making is worshipped her. Also famous for its maneki neko statues.
Maneki Neko Cats is said to have originated from this shrine.
Naneki neko couple are set on display where you ring the bell, donate coins and pray...many female visit to pray for their good luck. Lovely place, not far from Asakusa Sensoji shrine, so reckon to visit there.
Written January 13, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bcaha
ny1,807 contributions
Mar 2023
This is a small shrine and served as a great introduction to Japan on our first morning. We were the only ones there and had a chance to chat with the woman working there. I wanted to go there due to my love for cats. Afterwards we walked along the Sumida River through the park full of cherry blossoms in the rain. Very enjoyable. Might not be of interest to everyone though.
Written April 7, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rachel K
Redmond, Washington37 contributions
Mar 2017 • Solo
I visited 2 cat shrines while in Tokyo.
This one is about a 15min walk from the Senso-ji Temple or train statio. Walk along the river with a good view of the Tokyo Skytree in the distance.
Must-visit for cat lovers. Small gift shop with souvenirs was nice as well.
This one is about a 15min walk from the Senso-ji Temple or train statio. Walk along the river with a good view of the Tokyo Skytree in the distance.
Must-visit for cat lovers. Small gift shop with souvenirs was nice as well.
Written March 24, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
K_Chan40
Petaluma, CA427 contributions
Nov 2013 • Solo
I enjoyed visiting Imado Shrine a lot. The Shrine is small but has lots of cute things to see.
It is a bit of a walk from Senso-ji and the main area people visit in Asakusa. I was staying in Asakusa for 4 days so I had plenty of time to walk around in the morning and evenings so it worked out well for me but if you have limited time in Asakusa I think it can be skipped considering the time investment to get there.
If you really love cats this is a good place to visit. You may also want to go to Gotokuji as well but that is an even more lengthy adventure.
It is a bit of a walk from Senso-ji and the main area people visit in Asakusa. I was staying in Asakusa for 4 days so I had plenty of time to walk around in the morning and evenings so it worked out well for me but if you have limited time in Asakusa I think it can be skipped considering the time investment to get there.
If you really love cats this is a good place to visit. You may also want to go to Gotokuji as well but that is an even more lengthy adventure.
Written November 15, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rumples
Tucson, AZ11,708 contributions
Oct 2018 • Couples
I didn't see any real cats wandering around here until one appeared at the end of our visit. But there are cat figurines; cat charms; cat vases; cat drawings; myriad depictions of Maneki Neko, the beckoning cat seen throughout Japan; and the list goes on. Imado Shrine claims to be the origin of the famous Maneki Neko and cat lovers flock to the small shrine. It can be reached easily within 20 minutes on foot from Senso-ji, the great temple of Asakusa.
We chose to come from Asakusa through Sumida Park, a green space that follows the Sumida River with fabulous views of the Tokyo Skytree. The park sprawls between the Azumabashi and Sakurabashi bridges. Google Maps helped us to find our way once we left the park.
When we arrived at the shrine in late afternoon, no other visitors were there. So we missed seeing the women who come to leave wish tablets for the deity couple enshrined here. They hope for good luck in love and marriage.
This shrine is off the beaten tourist path and is not especially distinctive except for its focus on cats. This may appeal to those looking for cat souvenirs from Tokyo. I especially liked the shrine because of its quiet location away from the hordes of tourists in Asakusa's busy temple complex. But I have to admit to being partial to any place devoted to cats.
We chose to come from Asakusa through Sumida Park, a green space that follows the Sumida River with fabulous views of the Tokyo Skytree. The park sprawls between the Azumabashi and Sakurabashi bridges. Google Maps helped us to find our way once we left the park.
When we arrived at the shrine in late afternoon, no other visitors were there. So we missed seeing the women who come to leave wish tablets for the deity couple enshrined here. They hope for good luck in love and marriage.
This shrine is off the beaten tourist path and is not especially distinctive except for its focus on cats. This may appeal to those looking for cat souvenirs from Tokyo. I especially liked the shrine because of its quiet location away from the hordes of tourists in Asakusa's busy temple complex. But I have to admit to being partial to any place devoted to cats.
Written June 1, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mark B
Honolulu, HI478 contributions
Apr 2016 • Solo
Today I felt like avoiding the crowds and check out a few shrines/temples within walking distance from the hotel. I saw a few pics of Maneki Neko, Lucky Cat and thought it was for luck with fortune. Sure I could use some luck.
Imado Shrine is 10 min walk from Asakusa Station and Sosenji Temple. From the station take the scenic route through Sumida park along the waterfront. Nice views of Skytree. The shrine is small compared to others but does catch your eye. You'll notice all the Maneki Neko all over the place. They are in sets of two. Pictures, statues, sculptures, vases decorated everywhere. Took a few pics and some souvenirs.
I told my co-worker/translator about my weekend visiting random shrines. I mention Imado shrine and she giggles and tells me single women go there to find love and romance. No romance hunting for me. Just checking out cool stuff around and being a tourist.
Imado Shrine is 10 min walk from Asakusa Station and Sosenji Temple. From the station take the scenic route through Sumida park along the waterfront. Nice views of Skytree. The shrine is small compared to others but does catch your eye. You'll notice all the Maneki Neko all over the place. They are in sets of two. Pictures, statues, sculptures, vases decorated everywhere. Took a few pics and some souvenirs.
I told my co-worker/translator about my weekend visiting random shrines. I mention Imado shrine and she giggles and tells me single women go there to find love and romance. No romance hunting for me. Just checking out cool stuff around and being a tourist.
Written September 10, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sunshine
Belgrade, Serbia431 contributions
Oct 2015 • Solo
located in asakusa, walking down sumida river shore, dedicated to a holy imado cat, cat souvenirs and symbols are everywhere. shrine for the couples to pray for good luck or single ones to find love.
Written November 26, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
eallan17
Twin Falls, ID55 contributions
Jun 2024 • Family
We visited on a weekday morning along with radish shrine. Quiet and simple. But my kids love cats, so they loved this one!
Written June 30, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
glennharrold
Scotland, UK5,079 contributions
Sep 2023 • Couples
Small, quirky cat shrine worth a visit … love connections and the lucky Maneki-neko beckoning cats. Visit here for good relationships!
Written September 26, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lawrence Yuo Hsih Chu
Vancouver, Canada128 contributions
Jul 2018 • Friends
This shrine is supposed to give you good luck in finding your significant other. When I went, there were quite a few people there (mostly women) praying. I got a cat charm here. Hopefully, it will work... someday.
Written February 15, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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