Shrine sights in Tokyo
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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 To…
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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 a…
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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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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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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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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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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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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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