The best places to eat Hamburgers in Tokyo! Here are my top recommendations for places to eat around Tokyo. I used to live in Gotanda, so I’m a little bit bias in putting Franklin Avenue at the top, but it is a great restaurant – although the coffee is a tad expensive!

Let me know if you have any other recommendations or comments on my list.

Ten Most Famous Shrines and Temples

We all know that Japan is famous for its shrines and temples. Here are some of the best in Japan. Come and feel what is like to live in a country where they were building these temples and worshipping gods before western civilization was even getting started.

The Top 10 Fireworks Festivals below are ranked based on the number of fireworks and not necessarily their aesthetic appeal. Fireworks are traditionally a summer event in Japan and are paid for with everyone’s tax money.

1. Kyousosai PL Hanabi Geijutsu

No. of fireworks: 120,000
Date: 1st Sat. in August
Location: Osaka-fu, toyoda, hayashi-shi, PL Daihoncho
Tel: 0721-23-6625

Car park: No
Times: 19:45 -- 20:50

This fireworks festival started about 50 years ago and is the largest fireworks display in the country.

2. Suwako sai kojo hanabi taikai

No. of fireworks: 42,000
Times:19:00-21:00
Date: Aug. 15
No. of people: 490,000

The main attraction at this fireworks festival are the horizontal (Nayagara) which extend for 2km

3. Isesaki Fireworks Festival

No. of fireworks: 30,000
No. of people: 380,000
Date: Aug. 30 (Last Saturday in August)
Time: 19:00-20:30

4. Senbatsu Nagaragawa Chunichi Hanabi Taikai

No. of fireworks: 30,000
Date: July 26, 2008
Times: 9:00, 19:10, 19:15, 20:45

5. All Japan Fireworks Festival (Zenkoku Hanabi Taikai)

No. of fireworks: 30,000
Date: Aug. 2
Time: 19:00, 20:45

6. Shizuoka All Japan Fireworks Experts Selection

No. of fireworks: 30,000
Date: Aug. 9

7. Isesaki Tonegawa Fireworks Festival

No. of fireworks: 35,000
Date: Aug. 12
Time: 19:15-20:15

8.  Fukuroi Enshu Hanabi Taikai

Date: Aug. 9
No. of fireworks: 30,000

9. Nagaragawa Zenkoku Hanabi Taikai

No. of fireworks: 30,000

10. Sumidagawa Fireworks Festival

No. of fireworks: 20,000 bits
Date: Final Saturday of July
Time: 19:10-20:30

10) Fushimi Inari Shrine

This is the most famous of the shrines dedicated to the god of rice, Inari. His messengers are said to be foxes and thus statues of foxes are often found at Inari shrines. There is a long trail that takes about two hours to walk on the mountain (Inari-san) behind the main shrine. The trail is covered by countless torii gates lined one after the other along the way. Inari is two stops out of Kyoto on the JR Nara line.

9) Yudono Shrine

Yudono is one of the three mountains of the Dewa Sanzan. Each mountain has its own shrine with the other two being called Haguro San and Gasu San. Each of the mountains is said to represent Birth, Life, and Death. Yudono shrine is the most famous and venerated of the three. There is a certain degree of mystery which surrounds the shrine as it is forbidden to talk of, or hear what happens within its inner sanctum. Photographs of the shrine are also forbidden. These three shrines are in a breathtaking mountain setting and have beautiful long walks with a myriad of steps running up to them. Of course you can always cheat and drive up the toll road to Yudono if you are not up to the walk. Recommended.

Itsukushima Shrine

Itsukushima Shrine in Miyajima is perhaps one of the most photographed and is extremely well recognized as a symbol of Japan. The shrine itself is beautiful as it is built over the seawater and, at high tide, looks like it is floating on the water. Perhaps even more famous than the shrine itself is the Torii or red gate to the shrine which sits in the sea.

This torii is absolutely stunning and is a beautiful example of a man-made structure in complete harmony with the surrounding nature.The shrine was build under the patrongage of Taira no Kiyomori who was the most powerful man in Japan when it was built in 1168. There are trails around the waterfront that lead up to the temple and they are very picturesque to walk. Try to time your visit for a full tide so you get the true “floating” effect with the temple and torii.

7) Ise Grand Shrines

These are the most famous and venerated of the Shinto shrines. Over six million visitors come to these shrines each year, many of them Shinto followers on a pilgramage. The Outer (Geku) and Inner (Naiku) Shrines are actually located several kilometers apart, each at the foot of a hill with thick woods. Both are burnt to the ground every 20 years and rebuilt according to tradition.The Ise shrines have a very stark austerity, and are built in a strictly Japanese style. Many of the shrines in Japan are influenced by other mainland Asian shrins and temples. The Ise Grand Shrines are not extravagant in their design and are almost minimalist in their simplicity. While these qualities represent some of the ideals of purity and simplicity within the religion, to the untrained eye, they are not the most exciting shrines to visit.

6) Todaiji

Todaiji is located in Nara and is widely considered one of Japans most important temples. It was constructed in 752 as the head of all buddist temples in Japan and became so powerful that the capital of Japan was moved to Nara. Todaiji habors Japan’s largest bronze buddah and the wooden structure that houses it is the largest wooden structure in the world. Todaiji is impressive in its size and cuts an imposing impression on the surrounding landscape. Well worth a visit.

5) Horyuuji

Horyuuji is an important place for buddists in Japan as it is one of the world’s oldest wooden structures and one of the first buddest temples established in Japan. The temple was established by Prince Shotoku who is generally said to have brought buddism to Japan. The temple itself is intricately constructed from wood. There is another wooden pagoda which sits over the back should er of the temple itself. These beautiful wooden structures all date back to the 7th Century.

4) Kinkakuji

This was built in the 14th Century. The building is a three-storied pavillion and is covered in gold leaf. The building was rebuilt in 1955 as it was burned down by a monk in 1950. The golden building sits amongst trees and on the edge of a lake and reflects the golden evening light beautifully.