Omori is peppered with historical significance and is located just south of central Tokyo. During World War 2, the Tokyo Base Camp and a prisoner of war camp was located here on an artificial island, now called Peace Island. Centuries before, this area was known for its shrines and for its villagers drying nori seaweed.
Shingawa Historical Museum is located just a 15 minute walk from Hotel Mystays and has a lot of various artifacts dating back to the Edo period (1603—1868). An English leaflet is available which has most of the information about the exhibits There are also various models and videos around the museum and although they are not in English, you can understand it through the various sculptures, videos and photographs.
Kashima Shrine has a thousand years of history and was considered one of the three great shrines in suburban Edo, the old name for Tokyo. Considering the shrine is only a 10 minute walk from Mystays it is work checking out, and the area has various shrines, museums and shops. The main building has several seats which are used for ceremonies. Here they have various services such as a good luck amulet prayer, blessings for baby and a memorial service for aborted fetuses. This peaceful shrine is located just a few minutes from the Shinagawa Museum.
Naritasan Ennoji Temple was established in 1571 and hosts multiple shrines and a graveyard. It’s a quiet place to relax, but watch out for the mosquitoes in summer. The big Buddha statue is situated just in front of the temple entrance and if you look through the window you can see various beautiful decorations inside the temple. This was one of my favourite temples with a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere.
If you are interested in taking in the atmosphere of this area over a few days, consider staying in the area. Omori is a 30 minute train journey from Haneda Airport with a change at Shinagawa station. Generally the area is fairly busy, especially before and after people go to work. Other local attractions here include Shinagawa Kumin Park, Shinagawa Aquarium and Ohi Racecourse, which is also famous for its weekend flea markets.
