All About Japan

Snow-Capped Landmarks Glisten in White Powder

Temples Shrines Tokyo Disneyland Stations Ghibli Illumination Snow Temples & Shrines Night Views Tokyo Shinjuku Shibuya Kanto

While Tokyo is a beautiful city on any day, it takes on a special ethereal character when the snow piles up, as it did January 22, 2018, thanks to the area’s heaviest snowfall in years.

With the surrounding contemporary skyline obscured by the foggy night, the Asakusa neighborhood’s Sensoji Temple looks much like it must have to pilgrims and visitors generations ago.

Elsewhere, Kanda Shrine’s orange paint provided a dazzling contrast with the white snow, as did the neon signage of the bustling Shibuya and Shinjuku skyscrapers.

While it may have lost its status as Tokyo’s tallest structure to the Tokyo Skytree, 332.9-meter (1,092-foot) Tokyo Tower remains a beacon that’s visible from many parts of the city, and its glow tinged the icy mist.

A few years ago, Tokyo Station was renovated, winding back the clock on its appearance to more closely match its original, 1914 design. Much like with Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, the snow heightened the retro atmosphere.

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