Tokyo Shrines – A glimpse of the real Japan.

Shrine Number

北野神社

Kitano Shrine

Shinjuku, Tokyo

More than 1,500 rituals are held annually at Ise Jingu.

Shrine Number

稲荷大明神

Inari Daimyojin

Shinjuku, Tokyo

In 1946, GHQ abolished the system of shrine ranks, but the concept of shrine rank itself still exists today.

Shrine Number

朝日弁財天

Asahi Benzaiten

Shinjuku, Tokyo

In general, people refrain from visiting shrines during the period of mourning.

Shrine Number

十二社弁財天

Junisha Benzaiten

Shinjuku, Tokyo

About 90% of the site area of Ise Jingu Shrine is forest, which accounts for about one-sixth of the total area of Ise City.

Shrine Number

Kanda Myojin is the general guardian deity of 108 town councils in central Tokyo, and its benefits include prosperous business, prosperity of the company, protection from disaster and misfortune, healing from illness, and marriage. It is also famous for the Kanda Festival, one of the three major festivals in Japan.

Shrine Number

銀世界稲荷神社

Ginsekai Inari Shrine

Shinjuku, Tokyo

It is considered good luck to dedicate an ema (votive tablet) to the left side of the shrine, with the horse facing to the left.

Shrine Number

蛯子稲荷大明神

Ebisu Inari Daimyojin

Shinjuku, Tokyo

The southernmost shrine in Japan is Miyako Shrine on Miyako Island, Okinawa Prefecture.

Shrine Number

神楽坂若宮八幡神社

Kagurazaka-wakamiya-hachiman Shrine

Shinjuku, Tokyo

The Honcho is the umbrella organization for all Shinto shrines in Japan, and each prefectural government has its own Shinto Shrine Agency as a local branch.

Shrine Number

西向天神社

Nishimukiten Shrine

Shinjuku, Tokyo

Originally white in color, torii gates are said to have been painted red to ward off evil spirits in Buddhism as a result of the syncretization of Shintoism and Buddhism.

Shrine Number

水稲荷神社

Mizu Inari Shrine

Shinjuku, Tokyo

Suwa Shrine is the head shrine of Suwa-taisha in Nagano Prefecture, and there are approximately 5,000 Suwa shrines throughout the country, with Kenmonakata no Kami as the main deity.

Shrine Number

秋葉神社

Akiba Shrine

Shinjuku, Tokyo

Ise Jingu is the collective name for 125 shrines, centering on the Inner and Outer Shrines, and consisting of 14 annexes of the two shrines, as well as regent shrines, subordinate shrines, and shrines under jurisdiction.

Shrine Number

池立神社

Iketate Shrine

Shinjuku, Tokyo

After the Meiji Restoration, shrines to which an imperial envoy was sent by the emperor on the occasion of rituals were called "imperial shrines.

Shrine Number

新宿諏訪神社

Shinjuku-suwa Shrine

Shinjuku, Tokyo

The most famous of these is the "three sacred objects" that Ninigi no Mikoto is said to have received from Amaterasu at the time of his descent from heaven in the "Chronicles of Japan.

Shrine Number

新宿下落合氷川神社

Shinjuku-shimo-ochiai-hikawa Shrine

Shinjuku, Tokyo

The shrine grounds generally consist of a torii gate as the entrance to the shrine, a hand-watering basin, guardian dogs, a hall of worship, a main hall of worship, and regent shrines.

Shrine Number

鎧神社

Yoroi Shrine

Shinjuku, Tokyo

The hall of worship is the place where rituals and worship services are held, and in some cases also serves as a dance hall, kaguraden, and shrine office. Some shrines, including Ise Jingu, do not have a hall of worship.

Shrine Number

穴八幡宮

Ana Hachimangu

Shinjuku, Tokyo

The prefecture with the fewest number of shrines is Okinawa Prefecture with 13 shrines.

Shrine Number

市谷亀岡八幡宮

Ichigaya-kameoka Hachimangu

Shinjuku, Tokyo

Visitors are required to stop in front of the torii gate and bow before passing through.

Shrine Number

宮比神社

Miyabi Shrine

Shinjuku, Tokyo

The head shrine of the Inari Shrines, said to number more than 30,000 throughout Japan, is the Fushimi Inari Taisha in Kyoto, founded in 711.

Shrine Number

西早稲田天祖神社

Nishi-waseda-tenso Shrine

Shinjuku, Tokyo

The Outer Shrine, officially named Toyoke Grand Shrine, enshrines the deity Toyoke, the patron god of agriculture, industry, food, clothing, and shelter.

Shrine Number

牛込柳町天祖神社

Ushigome-yanagicho-tenso Shrine

Shinjuku, Tokyo

There are more than 2,000 single shrines that do not belong to the Honcho, including Nikko Toshogu Shrine, Meiji Shrine, Yasukuni Shrine, and Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine.

Shrine Number

富受稲荷大明神

Tomiuke Inari Daimyojin

Shinjuku, Tokyo

In principle, ichinomiya was granted to one shrine in one country, but there are cases where there are multiple ichinomiya in one country due to a battle for shrine status.

Shrine Number

多武峯内藤神社

Tatakegamine-naito Shrine

Shinjuku, Tokyo

In the Heian period (794-1185), the dedication of remote shrines was avoided, and "Nijusha" was established as a new ranking of shrines, mainly those close to Kyoto.51 "Ichinomiya" was established from the late Heian to Kamakura periods, and is the most prestigious shrine in each country (Ritsuryo/Kokugyo).

Shrine Number

鳴子稲荷神社

Naruko Inari Shrine

Shinjuku, Tokyo

The shrine with the largest site area in Japan is Meiji Jingu Shrine. It has a total area of 700,000 m2.

Shrine Number

大六天社

Dairoku Tensha

Shinjuku, Tokyo

The entire 233-meter-high Mount Inari is the object of worship at Fushimi Inari Taisha, and Sei Shonagon wrote about his pilgrimage to the mountain in his "Pillow Book.

Shrine Number

清水川稲荷神社

Shimizu-gawa Inari Shrine

Shinjuku, Tokyo

The Hachiman Shrine, affectionately known as "Hachiman-sama," is dedicated to Emperor Ojin (Honoritabetsumei). In the Middle Ages, he was worshipped by the warrior class as a warrior god.

Shrine Number

皆中稲荷神社

Kaichu Inari Shrine

Shinjuku, Tokyo

The forests maintained in and around the grounds of shrines are called "chinju no mori (woods).

Shrine Number

十二社熊野神社

Juniso-kumano Shrine

Shinjuku, Tokyo

The gojintai, the central object of a shrine, is also called "yoriyoshiro," and the place or object where the deity dwells varies from shrine to shrine.

Shrine Number

芸能浅間神社

Geino-asama Shrine

Shinjuku, Tokyo

The basic architectural style of shrine pavilions is the gabled gabled roof, which can be broadly divided into the "Shinmei-zukuri" style, which has its roots in the Ise Jingu Shrine, and the "Taisha-zukuri" style, which has its roots in the Izumo-Taisha Shrine.

Shrine Number

宝禄稲荷神社

Houroku Inari Shrine

Shinjuku, Tokyo

Miko (shrine maidens) originally played a central role in Shinto, performing kagura (Shinto music and dance), praying, divination, and micturition.

Shrine Number

津の守弁財天

Tsunokami Benzaiten

Shinjuku, Tokyo

Ise Jingu was considered a separate entity and was placed outside the classification of the modern shrine ranking system and imperial shrines.