5 Love Shrines in and around Tokyo | Guidable - Your Guide to a Sustainable, Wellbeing-centred Life in Japan

5 Love Shrines in and around Tokyo

By Guidable Writers Jan 28, 2020

Japan is famous for its numerous shrines that grant people their wishes. Whether it is prosperity, good health, or wealth, people have been visiting shrines to ask for many things. One popular wish, however, is love. Are you seeking blessings for your child’s safe delivery? Or perhaps, have you been searching for true love and want to settle down? 

With Valentine’s Day coming up, shrines are flooded with young men and women seeking love. If you wish to find love before this Valentine’s, this article is for you! We have gathered 5 sacred shrines that are known to guarantee results for single souls!

 

Tokyo Daijingu 

Tokyo Daijingu (東京大神宮) is one of the 5 major shrines of Tokyo. It enshrines various deities/gods, including historical figures like the ancestral deities of the Imperial Family or Gods like Izanagi, guardian of agriculture who commands creation and growth. As the deity of creation and growth also possess the divine power of togetherness, Tokyo Daijingu is also known for being the shrine for good marriage and successful love. 

Tokyo Daijingu had its name changed 3 times since its establishment. In 1880, it was originally named Hibiya Daijingu, where it was built in the Hibiya area. However, in 1982, the shrine was moved to Iidabashi after the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake struck central Tokyo and was renamed Iidabashi Daijingu. It then changed to its present name, “Tokyo Daijingu”, after the second world war. Tokyo Daijingu was the first shrine to publicly hold a Shinto wedding ceremony following the marriage between Emperor Taisho and Empress Teimei in 1900 at the Imperial Shinto Shrine.

Tokyo Daijingu not only grant wishes of love and romantic partners but it also grant smooth marriage and untroubled relationship. Therefore, it is popular not only to young men and women, but also married couples who wishes for the longevity of their relationship. Presently, the shrine offers a wide variety of charms related to love, including ones that promote long-lasting relationship and also ones that ensures success in finding lovers.

Among the 50+ charms of the shrine, one of the most popular charms from Tokyo Daijingu is the Enmusubi, which looks like 2 white lily flowers, and it’s magic? Finding your true love. 

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IIDABASHI STATION: 16 minutes from Ikebukuro by train on Yurakucho line

Hours: 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM 

Location: 2 Chome-4-1 Fujimi, Chiyoda-ku, Tōkyō-to 102-007

 

 

Hie Shrine

Located in central Tokyo, Hie Shrine is another one of the 5 major shrines of Tokyo. The exact date the shrine was built is unknown but it is believed to have been protecting Edo( the old name of Tokyo) since 1603. The deity enshrined in Hie Shrine is the Japanese God of foundations with his messenger, a monkey. It is believed that the monkey, Masaru, brings safe child delivery and harmonious marriage, which is reflected by the visitations of females to the shrine.

Furthermore, because the God enshrined in Hie Shrine is the God of foundations, the shrine is believed to bring good luck for job prospects and career promotion, offer protection, and bring good fortune for love and relationship matters. Although most visitors usually come here wishing to tie their love knot, there are a few others who come to the shrine asking for job promotion As the shrine is easily accessible for those who work near Iidabashi, Hie Shrine is a popular place for them to visit.

The shrine’s prominent feature is its stairs of red torii gates in which visitors have to climb in order to reach the main shrine of Hie. Upon reaching the top, visitors would see the monkey statue, Masaru. It is recommended to rub the left side of the statue if you seek for luck in love! 

KOKKAI GIJIDOMAE STATION: 23 minutes from Ikebukuro by train on Marunouchi line

Hours: 5:00 AM – 6:00 PM 

Location: 2 Chome-10-5 Nagatacho, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 100-0014

 

Imado Shrine

A 15 minute walk from the famous Asakusa Sensoji Temple is the Imado Shrine, and this shrine is believed to have a strong divine power for its matchmaking effect. The first thing you would notice when you first reach the shrine is that it is filled with cat sculptures. These cats are called the Maneki neko, literally meaning the beckoning cat, which is a cat figurine known for luck. It is believed that Imado Shrine is the origin of these Maneki neko. It is also believed that the gods who are enshrined in Imado Shrine, Izanami and Izanagi, were the first couple to marry in Japan’s history. 

Visiting the shrine therefore is believed to help one meet their significant other. Anybody who wants to get married can visit the shrine and try their luck. Today, it is popular among women and couples who want to fulfill their love. Don’t forget to take pictures of the Maneki Neko for good luck on your love life!

ASAKUSA STATION: 40 minutes from Ikebukuro by train

Hours: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM 

Location: 1 Chome-5-22 Imado, Taito City, Tokyo 111-0024

 

Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine Kawagoe

The town of sweet potato, Kawagoe, holds one of the most famous love shrines that has been in existence for almost 1500 years. The Hikawa Shrine, located in Kawagoe, is known to help numerous lonely souls find their partner. The God enshrined in Hikawa Shrine is believed to be the family God, who grants wishes related to relationships, marriage, and family happiness. 

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Visitors of the shrine can purchase omikuji or fortune-telling paper strips called the ichinen antai-mikuji and the aitai-mikuji, both having a unique fish shape. The red ones (ichinen antai-mikuji) are for ordinary fortunes, while the pink ones (aitai-mikuji) are for love fortunes. Other omikuji that tells of other fortunes are also available around the shrine. 

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A special charm, which is a gravel stone wrapped in a linen net, is provided only 20 per day and can be received at 8:00 A.M. at the shrine. The queue card for this matchmaking stone can finish as early as 6:50 A.M., so you should arrive there early to take your queue card! There are other charms you can purchase to increase your luck in love. After your purchase, you can walk through the tunnel of wooden prayer plates and stroll around a 60 years old tree for spiritual blessings.

 Aside from visiting the shrine to pray for love, you can take your time to walk around the old Edo. You can experience the town in traditional Japanese clothes (kimono), learn historical cultures, taste authentic delicacies, and shop for souvenirs to make your trip even more memorable! 

KAWAGOE STATION: 30 minutes from Ikebukuro by train on Tobu Tojo line

Hours: Hours: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM 

Location: 2 Chome-11-3 Miyashitamachi, Kawagoe, Saitama 350-0052

 

Kawagoe Kumano Shrine

A 15 minutes walk away from Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine is the Kumano Shrine which also grant love wishes to visitors. It is located on the Taisho Roman Yume Dori, a shopping street with a retro atmosphere emanating out of the remaining buildings from the Taisho era. The Gods that are enshrined in Kumano Shrine are the gods of love and marriage, which is believed to pave the path for couples and lovers.

At Kumano Shrine, visitors can start off by walking on the Kenkou Path, a pebble paved path  which stimulates blood circulation. Next, you can try your luck by tossing a ring over 5 fortunes including health, money, love, work, and having your wishes granted. At this shrine, you can also purify your coins at the Takaraike Pond. 

If you choose to do so, you then have two options: you can choose to keep the coins for good luck, or you can just spend it. It is believed that through this process, the money will come back to you again. 

Next to the Takaraike Pond are two snake statues called the Nade Hebi Sama. It is believed that if you rub both snakes at the same time, your relationships would be blessed and there will be good fortune in your marriage life and household. Petting other parts of the snake statue provide other blessings. Rubbing the head bestows one with academic achievements blessings, rubbing the scroll gives wisdom, rubbing the body grants physical health blessings, and rubbing the eggs confers blessings of money and safe child birth.

Various fortune telling omikujis are available for visitors to purchase. With the different designs and purpose for the wishes including omikujis according to blood type, visitors enjoy their time choosing and reading their fortunes. 

KAWAGOE STATION: 30 minutes from Ikebukuro by train on Tobu Tojo line

Hours: Hours: 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM 

Location: 17-1 Renjakucho, Kawagoe, Saitama 350-0066

 

Conclusion

After going through this article, do you have any shrines in mind that you want to visit? If you have been single throughout your life and question yourself why you can’t seem to meet your significant other, you might want to pay a visit to one of these shrines! Many people reported having their wishes answered and getting married with the love of their life.  For couples who want to settle down and tie the knot, you can also visit one of these shrines to pray for smooth marriage and household. If you are not looking for any blessings in love, you can simply enjoy the aesthetics of these Japanese shrines!

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If you’re interested in traveling around Koedo of Kawagoe after visiting the Hikawa shrine, try checking this out! 

https://guidable.co/culture/koedo-little-edo-30-minutes-from-tokyo/