Illustration: Mii Yoshii
The main blessings that can be received by praying at Hie Shrine are success in finding a marriage partner and business prosperity. You can also visit the subordinate shrines on the Hie Shrine grounds to pray for blessings.
God of Extinguishing Fires: Sanno Inari Shrine
During the Edo period (1603–1868), this ancient landowner god was known as Nagata Moue Hoshigaoka. After Sanno Gongen, the deity enshrined in the current main hall, was transferred here from inside Edo Castle, and Sanno Inari Shrine became part of Sanno Gongen Shrine’s precinct, the two shrines were places of worship together. Their miraculous efficacy is said to be immense, and when Sanno Inari Shrine escaped unscathed from the bombing during World War II despite much of the shrine precinct sustaining severe damage, it came to also be worshipped as the God of Extinguishing Fires.
Inari Shrine has its own dedicated approach, the Inari Sando, which is covered with 90 vermillion votive tori gates forming a tunnel that seems to lead into a different dimension. This year the shrine’s annual festival falls on April 20.
God of Path Opening: Sarutahiko Shrine
In 2016, the number of visitors to this shrine increased because it was deemed to be a power spot because of the word saru (“monkey) in the shrine’s name and 2016 being the Year of the Monkey. Also famous in mythology, Sarutahiko Okami is the God of Path Opening who leads the earthly kami (gods). “Path opening” also has the meaning of undertaking something new. For this reason, it is said that when pondering which path you should choose, this deity will lead you to demonstrate divine virtue when you come to the crossroads. It has long been worshipped as the god of wayfinding. The Kanoesaru Festival is held once every two months on Kanoesaru Day, the day on which Sarutahiko Okami visits the shrine.
God of Swords: Yasaka Shrine
Susanoo-no-Mikoto, the God of Swords and Good Fortune, is enshrined together with Sarutahiko Okami in the same shrine building. During the Edo period, the shrine was located in Minamidenma-cho (present day Kyobashi), and the two gods were syncretized with the mysterious Buddhist god Gozu Tenno. Together, these three gods were known as the Edo San Tenno (“Three Edo Tenno”). The shrine sat within the precinct of Kanda Shrine but was moved to the precinct of Hie Shrine in 1886. Today, few people know the name Edo San Tenno, and only Tenno-sama shrines remain quietly as subordinate shrines of old shrines dotted around Tokyo. Yasaka Shrine’s annual festival is held on June 7.
Left: Yasaka Shrine: Relationship-protection amulets (JPY 800 each)
Center: Sanno Inari Shrine: Votive divine foxes (messengers to the gods) (JPY 800)
Right: Sarutahiko Shrine: Prayer for guidance votive tablet (JPY 800)
Treasure Hall housing an array of treasures connected to the Tokugawa Shogunate family
This hall was constructed in 1978 as a commemorative project for the grand festival celebrating the 500th anniversary of Hie Shrine’s enshrinement within Edo Castle held the previous year. In addition to 31 swords, including pieces designated as National Treasures or Important Cultural Properties, the hall houses many treasures with connections to the Tokugawa Shogunate family.
■ 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. / Closed on Tuesdays and Fridays (may change due to shrine events / Free entry
At Nihonbashi Hie Shrine, various measures have been implemented in recent years in the hope of increasing the number of daytime visitors to the shrine. Because the shrine is located in Kabutocho/Kayabacho, one of Japan’s representative financial districts, one idea was to sell kabu-mamori amulets, playing on the word kabu, which means both “stock/share” and “kabu radish.” The shrine’s original Goshuin book (for collecting shrines’ red stamps) also has pictures of kabu radishes on the cover. These amulets are popular among business proprietors and investors seeking to be blessed with improved financial fortune. In January 2018, the shrine also introduced a Prayer for Pregnancy amulet and shishi-mamori (protective lion-dog amulet). The goddess of childbirth and protection against disaster, Konohanasakuya Hime, is enshrined here, and so the Prayer for Pregnancy amulet was created to provide blessings for women who are trying to become pregnant or about to give birth. The shishi-mamori amulet features motifs of the pair of guardian lion-dogs on the shrine grounds. These statues were consecrated in 1934 with the hope for recovery and improved good fortune following the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923. There are apparently only a few guardian lion-dogs in Japan that are depicted as looking up to the heavens.
These various measures have paid off with the number of office workers visiting the shrine before work increasing over the past few years. On some mornings there are so many worshippers that they have to line up! The number of visitors coming to the shrine to collect its red ink stamp has also increased.
The measures are still continuing. Beginning in April this year, Nihonbashi Hie Shrine is also offering Shinto wedding services for one couple per day. Wedding fees start at 50,000 yen, which is a comparatively reasonable price.
“When a couple marries here at Nihonbashi Hie Shrine, we hope that if they have children they will come back for omiyamairi, shichigosan, and other life milestones, deepening their connection with the shrine.” (Hie Shrine) There are also plans to introduce a new Setsubun Festival. Also, during the Sanno Festival period, traditionally the Nihonbashi Hie Shrine has remained quiet other that when the Shinko Festival is taking place (and the portable shrine is lodged there) or when the Shitamachi Rengo Mikoshi Parade enters/leaves the shrine. However, beginning this year the shrine is planning on holding events during the festival so be sure to drop by!
Left: One of the guardian lion-dogs on shrine grounds. Many visitors pat the statue as it is thought to bring good luck.
Center: The shrine’s original Goshuin book has a reputation for raising public esteem. Original Goshuin book (JPY 1,000)
Right: Shishi-mamori (JPY 800) The lion-dogs looking up at the heavens bless the owner of this amulet with increased good fortune.
Left: Prayer for Pregnancy amulet (JPY 1,000) This amulet blesses the owner with achieving pregnancy and safe childbirth.
Center, Top Right: Kabu-mamori amulet (JPY 800)
A famous work even includes a passage on enmusubi (“marriage blessings”): Nihonbashi Nishigashi Jizo-ji Temple
Nishigashi-cho is a district name that existed from the Edo period (1603–1868) through until the early Showa period (1926–1989) that stretched from Nihonbashi Bridge to Ichikokubashi bridge on the south side of the river. Nishigashi Jizo-ji Temple was built here in September 1718 as a Jizo-do hall enshrining a statue of Jizo Bodhisattva, the guardian deity of children, travelers, and the underworld. (The temple was renamed Nihonbashi Nishigashi Jizo-ji Temple in 1950).
Because Jizo Bodhisattva grants long life to those who pray to him sincerely on certain days only, and for this reason was known as Higiri Jizoson (“Limited Day Jizo”).
In Izumi Kyoka’s novel Nihonbashi, a story about Nihonbashi’s geisha world, the main characters’ visit to Nishigashi Jizo-ji Temple is described, and there is even a passage mentioning the marriage-blessing Nishigashi Jizoson statue. Shotaro Hanayagi, a prominent New Faction school of theater actor, also come to pray at Nishigashi Jizo-ji Temple when he was performing in Nihonbashi, and in 1938, he presented the temple with a picture by Komura Settai entitled Ochise no Zugaku (designated as a Municipal Intangible Cultural Property).
■1-2-5 Yaesu, Chuo-ku
Guardian deity of the financial securities world: Kabuto Shrine
Kabuto Shrine is located to the north of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The main deity enshrined here is Ukanomitama-no-Mikoto (Inari goddess), who is the guardian of commerce. She is enshrined with two other gods: Okuninushi-no-Mikoto (Daikoku-sama) and Kotoshironushi-no-Mikoto (Ebisu-sama). These were previously enshrined at Yoroi Inari, which was near Yoroi-no-watashi and is said to have also enshrined Taira-no-Masakado, and Kabutozuka, which had connections to Minamoto-no-Yoshiie.
With the relocation of Tokyo Shosha (a predecessor of Mitsu Bussan) in 1871, Yoroi Inari and Kabutozuka were moved to a location between Yoroi-no-watashi and Kabutobashi Bridge. Kabuto Shrine was built based on Onizuka with Minamoto-no-Yoshiie as its enshrined deity and then merged with Yoroi Inari. In 1874, worship of Minamoto-no-Yoshiie was discontinued, and Okuninushi-no-Mikoto and Kotoshironushi-no-Mikoto were enshrined together. In 1878, the Tokyo Stock Exchange became the Representative of Parishioners for Kabuto Shrine.
Kabuto Shrine was designated the guardian deity of Japan’s financial securities world and moved to its current location in 1927. There is a legend about the Kabutoiwa Rock on the shrine’s grounds that involves Minamoto-no-Yoshiie and Taira-no-Masakado. The shrine’s annual festival is held on April 1.
■1-8 Nihonbashi Kabutocho, Chuo-ku
Left: Kabuto Shrine
Center: Kabutoiwa Rock
(Photographs at left and center courtesy of Shigeki Watanabe)
Right: A Kabuto Shrine amulet protecting the Main Building East Entrance of the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
Gods who came from an auxiliary shrine of Ise Grand Shrine: Tenso Shrine
Formerly enshrined at Izawa-no-miya, an auxiliary shrine of Ise Imperial Shrine, the two gods worshipped at Tenso Shrine are Izawatomi-no-mikoto and Tamahashirayahime-no-Mikoto. The shrine was built in Nihonbashi-dori 3-chome (present-day Kyobashi 2-chome) in 1624 and then relocated to its present site in Hatchobori (Matsuya-cho) in 1633. At that time, the shrine’s parish comprised five districts: Matsuya-cho, Okazaki-cho, Nagasawa-cho, Motojima-cho, and Naka-cho. The shrine is also depicted in the Edo Meisho Zue (picture depicting famous sights of Edo) . Until the late 1920s the shrine held festivals on the 26th of each month where many street vendors set up stalls. People would also come to the lively festivals from throughout the Hatchobori and Honjo-Fukagawa districts.
■3-6-6 Hatchobori, Chuo-ku
*Reprinted from “Sanno Festival 2018” produced by Monthly Tokyo-jin and published by Shitamachi Rengo