It’s late, but let us say to our ultimate Johnny’s “idol” Ikuta Toma -kun: 誕生日おめでとう!! ♥♥

To celebrate it, we would like to take you to a shrine with his name on it. Although it has nothing to do with him, Ikuta Shrine is surely an interesting place for Toma’s fangirls/boys. Why? Nothing, it’s just because of his name. LoL. Ok, kindly read through this post and decide.

Ikuta Shrine (生田神社)

Ikuta Shrine is located in Sannomiya, Kobe, a walking distance from the main station. Since it is located in the heart of the city, many domestic and international tourists might not want to miss this shrine while exploring Kobe.

Apart from the magnificent details of the main gate and building, emas and o-mikujis are the ones we always love look and take picture of. Ikuta shire is worshiped as a guardian of health, but the prayers is not limited to that, we supposed. We did not pray there, tho.

Compared to other shrines we have visited in Japan, the area of Ikuta one is considered a mediocre. But when we compared to Kobe area, its actually quite big.

We  went there during winter. We bet the view on October-November will be much beautiful with fall foliage. Even more fascinating with the presence of Ikuta Toma-kun standing there smiling at you #fangirlsdream.

Since we didn’t quite understand the philosophy or scare messages of this shrine’s every single detail, we focused on something “big” and picturesque (read: insatgramable). And for us, the highlight of Ikuta Shrine is this one:

Although those torii lined is not comparable to Senbun Torii in Fushimi Inari, they are still so beautiful.  You may want to take picture there, but please be mind that this line is a pathway to those who want to pray. Your respect is very much appreciated.

If you’re happen to come to Kobe, we recommend you to visit this shrine. And if you’re a fan of JE, spare your time to also visit Ninomiya Shrine. Isn’t it amazing that Kobe has more than one shrines with JE talent’s name?

What: Ikuta Shrine, Kobe
Where: 1 Chome-2-1 Shimoyamatedori, Chuo Ward, Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture 650-0011, Japan [map]
How to go:  7 minutes walk from Sannomiya Train Station
How much: free