Shrine sights in Japan
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Fushimi-Inari Taisha
This stunning shrine complex was dedicated to the gods of rice and sake by the Hata family in the 8th century. As the role of agriculture diminished, deities were enrolled to ensure prosperity in business. Nowadays, the shrine is one of Japan's most popular, and is the head shrine for some 30,000 Inari shrines scattered the length and breadth of Japan.
The entire complex sprawls across the wooded slopes of Inari-yama. A pathway wanders 4km up the mountain and is lined with thousands of red torii. There are also dozens of stone foxes. The fox is considered the messenger of Inari, the god of the rice harvest (and, later on, business). The Japanese traditionally see the fox…
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Asakusa-Jinja (Asakusa Shrine)
The proximity of this Shintō shrine, behind Sensō-ji and to the right, testifies to the coexistence of Japan’s two major religions. Asakusa-jinja was built in honour of the brothers who discovered the Kannon statue and is renowned as a fine example of an architectural style called gongen-zukuri. It’s also the epicentre of one of Tokyo’s most important festivals, the Sanja Matsuri, a three-day extravaganza of costumed parades, some 100 lurching mikoshi (portable shrines) and stripped-to-the-waist yakuza sporting remarkable tattoos. Niten-mon, thegate that marks one of the entryways to Asakusa-jinja, was erected in 1618 as a private entrance to the temple for the…
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Kitano Tenman-gū
This is a fine, spacious shrine on Imadegawa-dōri. If you're in town on the 25th of any month, be sure to catch the Tenjin-san market-fair here. It's one of Kyoto's two biggest markets and is a great place to pick up some interesting souvenirs.
From Kyoto Station, take bus 50 and get off at the Kitano-Tenmangū-mae stop. From Keihan Sanjō Station, take bus 10 to the same stop.
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Meiji-jingū
Completed in 1920, the shrine was built in memory of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shōken, though the current structure dates from 1958, as the original was destroyed in WWII. Meiji-jingū is the largest Shintō shrine in Tokyo and boasts the nation's largest torii (shrine gates), made from Japanese cypress. The shrine swells with over a million visitors during the New Year festivities. It's well worth visiting at any time, however; if you're lucky you'll catch a surprisingly sombre Shintō wedding processional, which makes a wonderful photo op.
The shrine's inner garden, Meiji-jingū-gyoen , is almost deserted on weekdays. It's especially beautiful in June, when the irises…
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Atsuta-jingū
Hidden among 1000-year-old cypress trees, the 1900-year-old Atsuta-jingū is one of the most sacred shrines in all of Shintō. It houses the kusanagi-no-tsurugi (sacred sword; literally the 'grass-cutting sword'), one of the sanshu no jingi (three regalia) that were, according to legend, handed down to the imperial family by the sun goddess Amaterasu-Ōmikami. (The other two are the curved jewels at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, and the sacred mirror housed at Ise-jingū.) You won't be able to view the regalia, but don't feel left out; no one but the emperor and a few selected Shintō priests ever get to see them.
There is a small Treasure Hall, housing a changing…
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Hie-Jinja (Hie Shrine)
This Shintō shrine traces its roots to the sacred Mt Hiei, northeast of Kyoto, and it has been the protector shrine of Edo Castle since it was first built in 1478. The present site dates from 1659, though the shrine was destroyed in the 1945 bombings and later rebuilt in 1967. These days, the shrine is chiefly known as the host of one of Tokyo’s three liveliest matsuri, Sannō-sai. Given the shrine’s protector status, the festival was regularly attended by the shōgun, and even now the route of the festival’s mikoshi terminates at the Imperial Palace. When the festival’s not on, the shrine makes for a colourful yet quiet break. A highlight is the walk up through a…
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Shimogamo-jinja
This shrine, dating from the 8th century, is a Unesco World Heritage Site. It is nestled in the fork of the Kamo-gawa and Takano-gawa rivers, and is approached along a shady path through the lovely Tadasu-no-mori. This wooded area is said to be a place where lies cannot be concealed and is considered a prime location to sort out disputes. The trees here are mostly broadleaf (a rarity in Kyoto) and they are gorgeous in the springtime.
The shrine is dedicated to the god of harvest. Traditionally, pure water was drawn from the nearby rivers for purification and agricultural ceremonies. The hondō (main hall) dates from 1863 and, like the Haiden hall at its sister shrine,…
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Yasaka-jinja
This colourful shrine is just down the hill from Maruyama-kōen. It's considered to be the guardian shrine of neighbouring Gion and is sometimes endearingly referred to as 'Gion-san'. This shrine is particularly popular as a spot for hatsu-mōde (the first shrine visit of the new year). If you don't mind a stampede, come here around midnight on New Year's Eve or over the next few days. Surviving the crush is proof that you're blessed by the gods! Yasaka-jinja also sponsors Kyoto's biggest festival, Gion Matsuri.
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Kamigamo-jinja
This shrine is one of Japan's oldest and predates the founding of Kyoto. Established in 679, it is dedicated to Raijin, the god of thunder, and is one of Kyoto's 17 Unesco World Heritage Sites. The present buildings (over 40 in all), including the impressive Haiden hall, are exact reproductions of the originals, dating from the 17th to 19th centuries. The shrine is entered from a long approach through two torii (shrine gates). The two large conical white-sand mounds in front of Hosodono hall are said to represent mountains sculpted for gods to descend upon.
The shrine is a five-minute walk from Kamigamo-misonobashi bus stop; take bus 9 from Kyoto Station.
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Yushima Tenjin (Yushima Shrine)
Across the way from Tokyo University, this particularly attractive Shintō shrine traces its lineage back to the 5th century. In the 14th century, the spirit of a renowned scholar was also enshrined here, which leads to Yushima Tenjin’s current popularity: it receives countless pilgrims in search of academic success. Amid the buildings with their painted accents and gold trim (the latest reconstruction was in 1995), students hang messages written on wooden tablets called ema, left in hope that lofty exam scores will gain hopeful high-school students admission to the power generator across the street or universities nationwide.
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Tomioka Hachiman-Gū (Tomioka Hachiman Shrine)
Next door to Fukagawa Fudō-dō, this large shrine dates from 1627, and is closely associated with the world of sumō. Around the back of the main building is the yokozuna stone, carved with the names of each of these champion wrestlers. Also of note are two treasured mikoshi (portable shrines), used in the Fukagawa Hachiman festival in mid-August. The current mikoshi date from 1991, and are encrusted with diamonds and rubies – look in the eyes of the phoenix and other birds on top. A flea market takes place here on the 15th and 28th of most months, from around 8am to sunset.
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Sumiyoshi Taisha
This shrine is dedicated to Shintō deities associated with the sea and sea travel, in commemoration of a safe passage to Korea by a 3rd-century empress. Having survived the bombing in WWII, Sumiyoshi Taisha actually has a couple of buildings that date back to 1810. The shrine was founded in the early 3rd century and the buildings that can be seen today are faithful replicas of the ancient originals. They offer visitors a rare opportunity to see a Shintō shrine that predates the influence of Chinese Buddhist architectural styles.
The shrine is next to both Sumiyoshi-taisha Station on the Nankai main line and Sumiyoshi-tori-mae Station on the Hankai line (the tram line…
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Shin-Yakushi-ji
This temple was founded by Empress Kōmyō in 747 in thanks for her husband's recovery from an eye disease. Most of the buildings were destroyed or have been reconstructed, but the present main hall dates from the 8th century. The hall contains sculptures of Yakushi Nyorai (Healing Buddha) and a set of 12 divine generals.
It's about 15 minutes' walk from Wakamiya- jinja; follow the trail south through the woods. When you come to the main street, look for the small signs in English leading up (south) into a suburban neighbourhood.
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Kanda Myōjin (Kanda Shrine)
Hidden behind the main streets, this little known but quite splendid Shintō shrine boasts vermillion-coloured halls surrounding a stately courtyard. It traces its history back to AD 730, though its present location dates from 1616. The kami (gods) enshrined here are said to bring luck in business and in finding a spouse. It is the home shrine of the Kanda Matsuri (Kanda Festival) in mid-May, one of the largest festivals in Tokyo.
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Egaraten-Jinja
Students come to Egaraten-jinja to pray for academic success. Like other Tenjin shrines, Egara is dedicated to the memory of Michizane Sugawara, a Kyoto scholar of noble birth who was born in the middle of the 9th century. Students write their aspirations on ema (small votive plaques), which are then hung to the right of the shrine. Buses taken from stop 6 in front of Kamakura Station run out to Egara Tenjinja; get off at Tenjin-mae.
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Yushima Seidō (Yushima Shrine)
Established in 1632 and later used as a school for the sons of the powerful during the Tokugawa regime, Yushima Seidō is one of Tokyo’s few Confucian shrines. There’s a Ming dynasty bronze statue of Confucius in its black-lacquered main hall, which was rebuilt in 1935. The sculpture is visible only from 1 to 4 January and the fourth Sunday in April, but you can turn up at weekends and holidays to see the building’s interior.
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Futarasan-jinja
Shōdō Shōnin founded this shrine; the current building dates from 1619, making it Nikkō's oldest. It's the protector shrine of Nikkō itself, dedicated to the nearby mountain, Nantai-san (2484m), the mountain's consort, Nyotai-san, and their mountainous progeny, Tarō. There are other shrine branches on Nantai-san and by Chūzenji-ko.
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Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū
Kamakura's most important shrine is, naturally, dedicated to Hachiman, the god of war. Minamoto Yoritomo himself ordered its construction in 1191 and designed the pine-flanked central promenade that leads to the coast. The sprawling grounds are ripe with historical symbolism: the Gempei Pond, bisected by bridges, is said to depict the rift between the Minamoto (Genji) and Taira (Heike) clans. Behind the pond is the Kamakura Museum, housing remarkable Buddhist sculptures from the 12th to 16th centuries.
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Nogi-Jinja & General Nogi’s Residence
A short walk from the urbanity that is Tokyo Midtown, this shrine on the grounds of the home of a Meiji-era general is a relaxing break. The shiny black wooden house is open to the public only on 12 and 13 September, but the rest of the year you can peek through its windows and notice the mash-up of Japanese and Western styles that defined the Meiji period; think a tatami room with a Western fireplace.
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Kasuga Taisha
This shrine was founded in the 8th century by the Fujiwara family and was completely rebuilt every 20 years, according to Shintō tradition, until the end of the 19th century. It lies at the foot of the hill in a pleasant, wooded setting with herds of sacred deer awaiting handouts. As with similar shrines in Japan, you will find several subshrines around the main hall.
The approaches to the shrine are lined with hundreds of lanterns, and there are many hundreds more in the shrine itself. The lantern festivals held twice a year at the shrine are a major attraction.
While you're in the area, it's worth walking a few minutes south to the nearby shrine of Wakamiya-jinja.
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Tōshōgū
Tōshōgū, like its counterpart in Nikkō, is dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu, who unified Japan. The shrine, resplendent in gold leaf and ornate details, dates from 1651 and is one of the few extant early-Edo structures, having fortuitously survived Tokyo's innumerable disasters.
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Isaniwa-jinja
Designated a National Treasure, this shrine was modelled on Kyoto's Iwashimizu-Hachimangū and was built in 1667. It's located a short walk east of Dōgo Onsen.
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Kashihara-jingū
This shrine, at the foot of Unebi-yama, dates back to 1889, when many of the buildings were moved here from Kyoto Gosho (Kyoto Imperial Palace). The shrine buildings are built in the same style as those of Ise-jingū's Grand Shrine and are a good example of classical Shintō architecture. The shrine is dedicated to Japan's mythical first emperor, Jimmu, and an annual festival is held here on 11 February, the legendary date of Jimmu's enthronement. The vast, parklike grounds are pleasant to stroll around.
The shrine is five minutes' walk from Kashihara-jingū-mae Station; take the central exit out of the station and follow the main street in the direction of the mountain.
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Yoshimizu-jinja
Continuing another 300m up the street brings you to a side road to the left (the first turn past the post office) that leads to this small shrine that has a good view back to Kimpusen-ji and the hito-me-sen-bon (1000 trees in a glance) viewpoint.
The shrine has played host to several important historical figures. Minamoto Yoshitsune, a legendary swordsman and general, fled here after incurring the wrath of his brother, the first Kamakura shōgun. Emperor Go-Daigo set up a rival southern court in Yoshino after a dispute for succession broke out in Kyoto, and stayed here while his palace was being built. The shrine displays a collection of scrolls, armour and painted murals…
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Tōshō-gū
The entrance to the main shrine is through the torii (shrine gate) at Omote-mon (表門), a gate protected on either side by Deva kings.
Just inside are the Sanjinko (三神庫; Three Sacred Storehouses). On the upper storey of the last storehouse are imaginative relief carvings of elephants by an artist who famously had never seen the real thing. To the left of the entrance is Shinkyūsha (神厩舎; Sacred Stable), adorned with allegorical relief carvings of monkeys. The famous 'hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil' monkeys demonstrate three principles of Tendai Buddhism.
Just beyond the stable is a granite font at which, in accordance with Shintō practice,…
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