Photos: lienyuan lee · CC BY 3.0 · Pufacz · CC0 · Nesnad · CC BY 4.0 (3, 5) · そらみみ · CC BY-SA 3.0
Shitennōji calls itself the first state-sanctioned Buddhist temple in Japan. On the 21st (Kōbō Daishi) and 22nd (Prince Shōtoku) of every month a temple fair of antiques, old kimono and food stalls fills the grounds, and the central precinct, normally ¥500, is free.
Why it's unique
The temple claim is its own: the first state-sanctioned Buddhist temple in Japan. The fair is the local ritual.
What you do is come on the 21st like residents do, for the antiques and stalls, and walk the central precinct free.
Before you go
The 21st is the big day (hundreds of stalls); the 22nd is quieter, with fewer food stalls. Go early for antiques.
On 14 January the Doya-doya sees loincloth-clad students scramble for paper talismans.
