I finally got around to visiting Gotokuji Temple, the famed “cat temple.” This was my first visit despite spending the past few years living in Tokyo.
It was a fun relaxing visit. If I were a true tourist this is what I think I would mark as the highlights.
- The temple is in a relaxed suburban Tokyo neighborhood, and is far enough from the station the you’ll be able to soak up that slow Tokyo life that many tourists miss.
- The temple itself does indeed have Maneki Neko statues everywhere, but it’s also a regular functioning Japanese temple, so you can enjoy that aspect as well.
- It’s only a few stops from Shimokitazawa, so you can go get your crowded bustling Tokyo burb fix after the temple visit if you want. I would recommend doing the temple in the morning and hitting Shimokitazawa afterwards.
On the way back to the station I stopped at Iron Coffee [Map], had a Tanzania drip, and chatted with the staff while I enjoyed it.
The young man working at Iron Coffee said that his shop has been in this location for eight years (though he had only been working there for two). He said that with the popularity of Gotokuji as the “cat temple” the main street has changed a lot. According to him, the temple has only seen this sudden boom in popularity and visitors in the past two years or so. The temple has always been known for Maneki Neko (the white cat with the welcoming arm raised), but tourists in droves have only started to show up since the end of COVID-19. When I told him that the temple was limiting the purchase of maneki neko statues to one per visitor he was absolutely stunned. He mentioned that the increased traffic is good for the area, as most folks blow by Gotokuji station to visit Shimokitazawa, Shibuya, and then back to their hotels in the city. He asked if it was my first time getting off the train at Gotokuji station, and despite spending more than 10 years of my life in Japan, indeed it was.
The visit to Gotokuji Temple has been documented in so many time all over the web I’ll spare you the details. Just fire up Google Maps for Gotokuji Temple and go. It will take you about 40 minutes to get there from the “center” of Tokyo. By Center I mean the Akasaka area.
All and all it was a good visit. The suburban vibe of Gotokuji was just as enjoyable as the temple itself. The hundreds of maneki neko sure do make a photogenic scene. There are also some tiny maneki neko on random ledges around the temple compound, so keep an eye out for some fun photo opportunties. Amazingly, I did not see a single real cat in the temple complex.
Check it out! It might be fun!