Gotokuji and Setagaya Walking Tour: Home of the Lucky Cat Statue
Description
Discover a different side of Tokyo in this charming 3.0 hour walking tour through Setagaya, a leafy, upscale neighborhood known for its peaceful shrines, historic charm, and the birthplace of Japan’s beloved lucky cat. Perfect for those wanting to escape the crowds and see a more local, authentic side of the city all just a short ride from central Tokyo. ・Visit Gotokuji Temple, home to over 1,000 lucky cats and the legendary origin of the maneki-neko ・Stroll through tranquil shrines like Setagaya Hachimangu and Shoinjinja, steeped in Edo and Meiji-era history ・Experience local life in stylish shopping streets and cafés, where Tokyo’s modern charm meets timeless tradition ・During the walk through the shopping street, enjoy a free drink (up to ¥800)
Tour Options
Itinerary
Autumn matsuri held at Setagaya Hachimangu, one of the larger shrines in Setagaya Ward. Notable for the dohyo (sumo ring) set up in the grounds of the shrine and the honosumo (奉納相撲) event.
Gotokuji Temple is the beginning of the Kotokuin hermitage built by Kira Masatada who built Setagaya Castle in 1480. Originally it was Rinzai sect but in 1584 it became a temple of the Soto sect. There are many sights in the precincts such as the tomb of Ii Naosuke, the greatest authority of the Tokugawa shogunate in the middle of the 19th century, the three-story pagoda, the worshiping of the invincible Kannon, but the most attractive point is the good fortune beckoning cat, known as the “manekineko” to some. This lucky cat, known country-wide, is said to have been “born” here. The sight of 1,000 or more of these “cats” lined up is now one of the landscapes that represents Tokyo. It is said that the lucky cat, familiar to Japanese as a good luck symbol, is the birthplace of Gotokuji Temple. You’ll learn about the origin of the lucky cat in the guide on the day of the tour.
Shoinjinja Shrine was founded in 1882 with the master Yoshida Shoin at center. In the precincts, there are the tombs of Shoka Village school children including Yoshida Shoin, and the building which reproduced Shoka Village school. Mr. Yoshida Shoin, who was born in Hagi City in Yamaguchi prefecture in 1830, built the cornerstone of modern Japan as a spiritual leader of the Meiji Restoration, but it was executed in rest prison by Ii Naosuke, thus putting a close to a short life of 30 years. His philosophy, which is also called “Yamato Damashi (Japanese spirit),” influences the thought and way of thinking of contemporary Japanese people, including Ito Hirofumi, who became Prime Minister of Japan in the first cabinet. It is an interesting point of this area that the Shoinjinja Shrine that enshrines Yoshida Shoin, who ended the era of the samurai, and the Gotokuji Temple, where Ii Naosuke sleeps to protect the era of Samurai, is within walking distance.
The landmark of Sengenjacha in Setagaya.
You can take this local line with full of locals after the tour.
The tour supplier of this activity.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Please join us wearing shoes that are easy to walk in because you will walk the mountain paths.
- Tour duration can be extended at a rate of 5,000 yen per group, per hour, payable in cash.
- Hotel pickup will incur an additional fee of ¥5,000 per group (for hotels in Tokyo & Yokohama area)
Reviews(8)
A fair amount of walking, but none of it difficult. Lots to see. Our guide, Eriko, was excellent - informative, engaging, and friendly. We had a wonderful time.
Dear Steven, Thank you very much for joining our Gotokuji and Setagaya Walking Tour and for sharing your kind review! We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed the walk and that Eriko’s friendly, engaging guiding made the experience so memorable. We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you again on another visit! Best regards, Kyoko
Our wonderful guide, Eriko, gave us a fabulous tour with shopping, coffee, shrines and lots of cat statues on the Gotogugi and Setagaya tour. She is so knowledgeable, helpful and lovely. We highly recommend this tour.
Dear Sharon, Thank you for taking the time to share your experience on our Gotokuji and Setagaya Walking Tour! We are pleased to hear that the combination of shopping, coffee, shrines, and the many lucky cat statues made for an enjoyable and memorable visit. Your guide, Eriko, will be honored by your feedback. We sincerely appreciate your recommendation and look forward to welcoming you again in the future! Best regards, Kyoko
Knowledgeable young guide. Helpful and courteous. Was like a personal tour around the cat themed neighbourhood. Recommended.
Dear Mitchel, Thank you so much for your review! We're so glad you enjoyed exploring the area with your guide. It’s wonderful to hear that the experience felt personal and informative. We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you again on another Tokyo adventure! Best regards, Kyoko
We spent a fabulous half-day wit Mitsuko, who was kind, informative, and fun! We expected to just see the cat temple, but we got to go to several temples and shrines in the area, learn about the neighborhood, and even do some shopping. Mitsuko was an authentic and responsive guide who kept us engaged the whole time.
Dear Valued customer, Thank you for your sweet review! We're glad to hear that you had a fabulous half-day with Mitsuko. We're delighted that Mitsuko kept you engaged and provided an authentic experience. We appreciate your feedback and hope to welcome you back for more adventures soon! Best regards, Mariko
Yumi was an excellent tour guide! She showed us how to enter a shrine along with purity & prayer rituals. We thoroughly enjoyed the history of every shrine including the origin of the lucky cat. Thank you, Yumi!
Dear Valued Customer, Thank you very much for the wonderful feedback. We sincerely appreciate that you took the time to share your experience with us and are so glad you enjoyed your time in Gotokuji. Yumi truly is a great guide who we are very fortunate to have on our team. We hope to welcome you back when you next visit Japan! Best regards, Audrey
Emiko was a phenomenal tour guide! She was so knowledgeable, fun and considerate. We had such a great time, would highly recommend and were especially grateful for her help navigating the area. Very happy with the experience!
Dear Valued Customer, Thank you so much for your kind words. We really appreciate you taking the time out to share your experience with us — and we agree, Emiko is truly a gem to have on our team! Best regards, Monica
Could not recommend this highly enough. We were emersed in the local cuture from the beginning of the tour. The traditional tea ceremony was amazing. The guide spoke excellent English and was very knowledgeable. This is a must do when in Tokyo.
Thank you so much for joining the tour and your wonderful review! I’m glad that you had a great time and experience traditional Japanese culture in Yanaka. I hope you will come back to Tokyo and explore hidden gems again. I’m looking forward to seeing you next time!
<p>This tour is exactly what I was hoping it would be. We had a great morning with our tour guide Yoshimi exploring the local area of Gotokuji and visiting the Lucky Cat Temple. </p> <p>We have been to Tokyo before and seek out more off the grid and local experiences when we can. This tour was new to Viator and outside the hustle and bustle of the Tokyo we know, thus why we thought it might be interesting. We are also crazy about the Lucky Cat, so thought this would be fun and lucky to see. </p> <p>Yoshimi, our tour guide, was so nice, knowledgable, easy to walk and talk with and continually wanted to ensure we were taken care of. She met us at the subway station on this rainy day and we spent 3.5 hours on foot exploring at a slow, relaxed pace the quaint little streets, the local little shops and activity of a regular Saturday for this community which seemed void of most tourists. More shops would most likely be open if you book this tour for the later time versus the 9AM start that we took. </p> <p>This tour is local, slow paced, focused on the Gotokuji community and exactly what I was hoping for. A simply lovely little morning. Thank you Yoshimi!</p>