Tokyo Shrines – A glimpse of the real Japan.

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

The month of October on the lunar calendar is said to be the month when all the gods from all over Japan gather in Izumo for their divine assemblies, and is generally referred to as "Kanashizuki," while in Izumo it is called "Kanzai-zuki.

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

夫婦木神社

Meotogi Shrine

Shinjuku, Tokyo

The general etiquette for worshipping at shrines is "Nirei Ni-Beat-Itte-Ichirei" (two beats, one bow).

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

稲荷神社

Inari Shrine

Shinjuku, Tokyo

Tokyo Daijingu Shrine was built as the far shrine of Ise Jingu Shrine. It is the "birthplace of the Shinto wedding ceremony" where Emperor Taisho performed the first Shinto wedding ceremony, and is very popular as a shrine with benefits for marriage.

Shrine Number

赤城神社

Akagi Shrine

Shinjuku, Tokyo

There are approximately 81,000 shrines throughout Japan (Agency for Cultural Affairs, 2016).

Shrine Number

田安鎮護稲荷神社

Tayasu-chingo Inari Shrine

Shinjuku, Tokyo

It is a basic rule to visit the Outer Shrine and then the Inner Shrine in that order.

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

小田急豊川稲荷

Odakyu-toyokawa Shrine

Shinjuku, Tokyo

The northernmost shrine in Japan is Cape Soya Shrine in Hokkaido.

Shrine Number

大神宮

Dai-jingu

Shinjuku, Tokyo

The highest shrine in Tokyo's 23 wards is the Tower Grand Shrine on the 2nd floor of the Tokyo Tower Grand Observatory.

Shrine Number

稲荷鬼王神社

Inari Kio Shrine

Shinjuku, Tokyo

Atago Shrine in Minato Ward, Tokyo, is located on Mt. Atago, the highest mountain in the 23 wards as a natural terrain mountain.

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

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

出世稲荷神社

Shusse Inari Shrine

Shinjuku, Tokyo

Since the center of the torii gate and the approach to the shrine is considered to be the path of the gods, it is customary to pass by either side of the gate.

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

北野神社

Kitano Shrine

Shinjuku, Tokyo

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

Shrine Number

笑福稲荷神社

Warafuku Inari Shrine

Shinjuku, Tokyo

The Tokyo Gosha are Meiji Shrine, Yasukuni Shrine, Hie Shrine, Okunitama Shrine, and Tokyo Daijingu Shrine, which are considered historically prestigious among the approximately 1,800 shrines in Tokyo.

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

金辯財天

Konben Zaiten

Shinjuku, Tokyo

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

金丸稲荷神社

Kanemaru Inari Shrine

Shinjuku, Tokyo

Dendenmangu Shrine at Horinji Temple in Arashiyama, Kyoto, enshrines Denden Myojin, the god of electricity and radio waves, and is visited by people in the TV and IT industries.

Shrine Number

高田氷川神社

Takada-hikawa Shrine

Shinjuku, Tokyo

Nakajima Shrine in Hyogo Prefecture enshrines Tamizumamori-no-mikoto, who is revered as the god of sweets.

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

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.

Shrine Number

津島神社

Tsushima Shrine

Shrine Number

音羽今宮神社

Otowaimamiya Shrine

Shinjuku, Tokyo

Gohage Shrine in Kyoto enshrines the god of hair. It is said that offering cut hair to the shrine brings blessings related to hair.

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

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

花園神社

Hnazono Shrine

Shinjuku, Tokyo

A shrine is a place where Shinto deities are enshrined.

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.