You don't have any plans to go anywhere this summer! It's boring, so you might as well just wander around... Hitting random cafes and shops is fine, but that's just like any other weekend.

While you might not make the most of your summer memories, why not visit some hidden gems and get some stories to tell your coworkers about when the holidays come around?

And if you visit a shrine known for its healing properties, you can expect to improve your luck while also creating a story, so it's a great deal. So, this time, we'll introduce you to shrines offering unique experiences and shrines dedicated to rare deities.

■Inari Kiou Shrine

Inari Kiou Shrine, the only shrine in Japan dedicated to demons, is also unique. It began in 1653, when an Inari shrine was built in the sacred grounds of Okubo Village, bringing good fortune. Later, in 1831, the shrine was merged with the Kiou Shrine in Kumano, Kishu, and the shrine took on its current name. Beneath the shrine's main torii gate stands a stone statue of an oni (demon) with a water basin on its head. It's said that pouring water into this basin and praying will cure fevers and soothe children's nighttime crying. Interestingly, since the shrine's enshrined deity is Onio Gongen, the chant at the Setsubun O-Onan ceremony is "Demons in, good fortune in." While this sounds clever, it's not a simplification. How about something like "Good demons in, bad demons out?" Here's another interesting tidbit from within the shrine grounds. The Inari Onio Shrine grounds also house Ebisu Shrine (Mishima Shrine), dedicated to Ebisu. Near Ebisu stands a stone known as the "Frog Stone." It's said that pouring water onto this stone from the provided water basin with a ladle and silently chanting your wish three times will make it come true. The chanting is simple: if you're praying for a day of safety and safe travels, you say "Safe return," if you want better financial luck, you say "Money returns," if you're praying for better fortune, you say "Good luck returns," if you're praying for love, you say "May the heart of my beloved return to me" or "The one I'm waiting for return," and for good health, you say "Youth returns." It seems like it can be arranged in any way, but apparently there's even a chant for any wish to be granted. It's like a world of wordplay.

Also, at the foot of the frog stone is a "suikinkutsu," a type of ornament found in Japanese gardens, with a mechanism that uses water droplets to create a mysterious, koto-like sound. If you pour water on the frog stone little by little and listen to the bamboo tube placed in front, the water will drip into a jar buried in the ground, echoing and creating a cool, refreshing sound.

Address: 2-17-5 Kabukicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
3-minute walk from Higashi-Shinjuku Station

■Ushijima Shrine

If you are feeling unwell, it is said that you should entrust your wishes to the "Nadeushi" (caressing cow) at Ushijima Shrine. Apparently, if you stroke the part of your body that is feeling unwell, and then use the same hand to touch the same part of the Nadeushi, your illness will be cured.

Address: 1-4-5 Mukoujima, Sumida-ku, Tokyo
5-minute walk from Honjo Azumabashi Bridge

■Yushima Tenjin Shrine

If you're having trouble finding something you've lost, make a wish at the square pillar known as the "Kien Hyojin Stone" at Yushima Tenjin Shrine. It is said that if you make a wish to this pillar, it will miraculously find what you are looking for.
Address: 3-30-1 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo
3-minute walk from Yushima Station
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■ Yasukuni Shrine
Today, August 15th, during the Obon festival, it is undoubtedly Yasukuni Shrine that you should visit. Setting aside political ideology, why not take the time to see for yourself, at least once in your life, what goes on here on this anniversary of the end of the war, which receives much media coverage every year?

Every year on August 15th, Yasukuni Shrine holds the "Voice of Japan - A Gathering to Express Gratitude to the War Dead" Dove-Releasing Ceremony. On this day, buses carrying worshippers from all over the country arrive, and a long line of worshippers forms in front of the main hall, praying for the families and acquaintances of those who gave their lives for their country. Inside the crowded grounds, you can see people in military uniforms waving the Japanese flag. Police officers are on guard around the shrine. What thoughts come to your mind when you witness a scene that television does not show?

Looking back on the origins of this shrine and Japanese history, and vowing not to make the same mistakes again, is an important summer homework assignment for adults as well.

Address: 3-1-1 Kudankita, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
5 minutes walk from Kudanshita Station