Kameido Tenjin Shrine [Tokyo]

【Kameido Tenjin Shrine summary】

Kameido Tenjin was built in 1661. Nobusuke Sugawara Otorii, a priest of Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, a descendant of Michizane Sugawara, traveled around the country with the intention of building a shrine to spread Tenjin worship, and arrived in Kameido Village. The shrine began when he dedicated a statue of Tenjin carved from a flying plum tree associated with Michizane to a small shrine of Tenjin that had originally existed. It was called “Higashi Zaifu Tenmangu” or “Kameido Zaifu Tenmangu” as the eastern zaifu to Dazaifu Tenmangu in Kyushu. In 1876, the shrine became a Tokyo Prefecture shrine and was renamed Kameido Shrine, and in 1936, it became the current Kameido Tenjinja Shrine. The main deity is Sugawara Michizane, known as the god of learning. Many students and their parents visit the shrine to pray for success in entrance exams during the year-end and New Year holidays. In Tokyo, Yushima Tenjin Shrine and Kameido Tenjin Shrine are well known.

Yushima Tenmangu Shrine [Tokyo]

太宰府天満宮【福岡県】

【Kameido Tenjin Shrine precincts】

Kameido Tenjinja Shrine is famous for ume (plum) blossoms and wisteria flowers in addition to prayers for success. Especially during the wisteria festival held from mid-April to early May, the shrine is especially crowded with tourists.

I thought it was relatively rare to see a shrine where visitors cross a pond on a straight approach and drum bridge to visit the shrine while looking at the main shrine from the torii gate, although it seems to be a royal road. Also, the view of the Tokyo Sky Tree over the main shrine building, with its mixture of old and new, is a sight unique to Kameido Tenjin.

Next to the main shrine is a sacred cow. It is said that if you stroke the head of the sacred cow, your head will get better. It is also said that those who are in poor health will get better if they stroke the same part of their body that is in bad shape. The color of the part often stroked is changing.

【Kameido Tenjin Shrine wisteria trellis】

If the season is as usual, the best time to view the wisteria trellises is from late April to early May. The wisteria festival will last until the end of April.

The entire precincts of the shrine were built in the style of Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine in Kyushu. Ukiyoe artists such as Katsushika Hokusai visited the shrine in the late Edo period, and many works depicting the Taiko-bashi bridge and wisteria remain.

The wisteria blossom sky tree was quite a view. Seasonally, you may enjoy visiting Kameido Tenjin Shrine in conjunction with the azalea festival at Nezu Shrine.

Nezu Shrine and Otome Inari Shrine [Tokyo]

【Kameido Tenjin Shrine GOSHUIN】

【Kameido Tenjin Shrine Nearby attractions】

Tokyo Sky Tree

【Kameido Tenjin Shrine Access】