Asakusa Otori Shrine [Tokyo]

【Overview of Asakusa Otori Shrine】

The exact year Asakusa Otori Shrine was founded remains unknown. According to shrine legend, it originated when Yamato Takeru prayed for victory during his eastern expedition and hung a kumade (bamboo rake) on a pine branch in gratitude. There are various theories about its founding; another suggests it began in 1771 when Chokoku-ji Temple enshrined the deity Washimyoken Daibosatsu. Until the Edo period, it was a sub-shrine of the adjacent Chokoku-ji Temple known as “Otori Daimyojin,” but it became an independent shrine during the Meiji period due to the government policy separating Shinto and Buddhism.

In contrast to the Otori Shrine in Hanahata, Adachi City, which was called “Otori,” this shrine was apparently referred to as “Shintori.”

Hanahata Ōtori-jinja Shrine [Tokyo]

The enshrined deities are Amenohiwashi-no-kami and Yamato Takeru-no-mikoto.

【What is Tori-no-Ichi?】

It is a festival held at various shrines and temples on the Days of the Rooster (Tori-no-Hi) in November to pray for good luck and business prosperity. The grounds are lined with food stalls and bustle with worshippers looking to buy kumade (lucky rakes).

The Asakusa Tori-no-Ichi held at this Otori Shrine is particularly famous and is considered one of the Three Great Tori-no-Ichi Festivals of the Kanto region. Said to attract about 700,000 to 800,000 visitors every year, it is a traditional festival that has continued since the Edo period.

【Asakusa Otori Shrine Approach (Sando)】

During the Tori-no-Ichi festival, this approach is lined with numerous stalls, allowing you to enjoy a festive atmosphere. Normally, however, the lanterns and stalls are cleared away.

【Asakusa Otori Shrine Main Hall (Shaden)】

The large, vibrant vermilion-lacquered Main Hall easily catches the eye.

【Asakusa Otori Shrine: Nade Okame】

There is a large “Okame” (a traditional mask of a smiling woman) at the Worship Hall, and it is said that stroking different parts of her face grants different blessings.

Stroking her forehead brings “wisdom,” her eyes “foresight,” her nose “financial luck,” her right cheek “success in love,” her left cheek “health,” and her mouth “protection from disaster.” If you stroke her clockwise from the chin, “things will be resolved smoothly.”

【Juzaisan Chokoku-ji Temple】

Next to Otori Shrine is the temple where the “Asakusa Tori-no-Ichi” originated. It was founded around 1630. The principal object of worship at Chokoku-ji is the chant “Namu Myoho Renge Kyo.”

After the temple and shrine were split, Otori Shrine became much larger and more famous, leaving this temple with a quiet, unassuming presence.

【Asakusa Otori Shrine Goshuin】

【Tourist Spots Near Asakusa Otori Shrine (Within a 30-minute walk)】

Ono Terusaki Shrine, Yoshiwara Shrine, Tobifudo, Senso-ji Temple.

Ono Terusaki Shrine [Tokyo]

Yoshiwara Shrine [Tokyo]

飛不動 (三高寺 正寳院)【東京都】

Senso-ji Temple [Tokyo]

【Asakusa Otori Shrine Access】

関連投稿(Related Posts):

Hanahata Ōtori-jinja Shrine [Tokyo] Yoshiwara Shrine [Tokyo] [A Stroll Through Shibamata] Showa Nostalgia and Edo Refinement: A Good-Luck Route in a Shitamachi Where Time Stands Still Torikoe Shrine [Tokyo]