Ikebukuro Shrines in the Snow

Something local that would be nice to see in the snow? Shrines of course!  

So before going to the market, I stopped at Mitake and Kosodate Shrines. 

I had seen these shrines earlier in my trip, but seeing them again in the snow was delightful. 

Even prettier was Sanja Shrine. 

The iris japonica were still standing after the snowfall. 

And snow remained on the camelias.  

The pretty sakura tree also had a snow coating. 

Seeing the shrines in snow helped me decide where else I wanted to go. More of that in my next couple of posts. What I found was one of the most beautiful places I've seen in Japan.

Sanja Shrine

Not far from Ikebukuro Mitake Shrine is this lovely sakura tree.

I could spend all day looking up into those branches. 

And luckily there are pretty blossoms closer to the ground. 

Across the street is a little Shinto shrine. I do not have information as to the name. It is most likely an Inari shrine for neighborhood businesses. 

There is a small broken monument there also. 

I do know the name of this little shrine. It is Sanja Shrine and it's hidden in between residential buildings, down an alley. 

The chozubashi is very natural looking. 

The little area around the shrine is a tiny garden. From what I read Inari is enshrined here.

 On the outside is a wooden plaque that reads Hakushima Benzaiten, 嚴嶋辨財天. So this may also be a shrine for Benzaiten. That might explain the type of water basin there. In the past, as now, north west Ikebukuro had an entertainment district. It would make sense that Benzaiten would be enshrined in the area.

The garden is very pretty. With tiny sakura and ume trees, and camellia bushes. 

Lots of iris japonica were blooming. 

Violets 

And other flowers. It was a nice place to visit, very near Ikebukuro Mitake Shrine. I did stop back one more time during my trip. For a good reason. I will share those photos later.