Admission
- Adult (18+)Free
Chuo, Tokyo Prefecture
At a Glance
Suitengu Shrine in Tokyo's Nihonbashi district serves as a sacred place dedicated to safe childbirth and child-rearing, drawing expectant mothers who seek blessings for safe deliveries. The shrine features a modern building completed in 2016 that blends contemporary design with traditional Shinto worship spaces. Rooftop gardens provide a peaceful sanctuary above the bustling streets, offering visitors a place for prayer and reflection.
The shrine plays a continuous role in the lives of Tokyo families. Expectant mothers visit to pray for safe deliveries, while new parents return to express gratitude and pray for their children's health and growth. The worship spaces maintain traditional Shinto aesthetics and practices despite the modern exterior, creating a meaningful connection between contemporary Japanese life and enduring spiritual traditions. For visitors interested in experiencing living Shinto practice rather than merely observing historical structures, Suitengu offers a genuine glimpse into how these traditions continue to provide comfort and community in modern Japan.
The "Kodakara Inu" (child-treasure dog) statue was donated by Bridgestone founder Shojiro Ishibashi. Visitors rub their zodiac animal among the 12 signs surrounding the bronze mother dog for blessings of safe childbirth and healthy children.
The shrine sits on a 60cm-wide seismic isolation system that allows the entire building to shift horizontally during earthquakes, protecting worshippers while maintaining traditional shrine architecture above modern engineering.
This shrine offers 1 different goshuin designs
Regular
Within 300 m Within 600 m
Renting needs the operator's app and a Japanese phone number. docomo day passes are sold at convenience stores. Data sources
Facilities
Visit on weekdays rather than weekends or Dog Days (inu no hi, occurring every 12 days) when the shrine becomes extremely crowded with expectant mothers seeking safe childbirth blessings.
Visit on the 5th of each month or on Snake Days (mi no hi, every 12 days) to see the Hosho Benzaiten shrine doors opened, allowing you to view the deity statue inside.
Touch your zodiac animal on the Child-Treasure Dog statue (Kodakara Inu) for blessings of safe childbirth, fertility, and healthy child development. This bronze statue of a mother dog with puppies, donated by Bridgestone founder Ishibashi Shojiro,...
The shrine offers elevator access from the parking lot to the main worship area, making it fully accessible for pregnant women and families with small children without requiring stair climbing.
Be aware that this is primarily a functioning worship site for life events rather than a traditional atmospheric shrine, with modern architecture blending shrine buildings into a contemporary structure completed in 2016.
During formal prayer ceremonies (gokito), pregnant women will each have their names called individually by the shrine priest and miko shrine maiden, who perform purification rituals with sacred bells in a solemn atmosphere.
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The divine spirits venerated at this sacred place
What this place is believed to grant
2 structures on the grounds
Built in traditional shrine architectural style with white wood as the base, incorporating decorative metalwork and carvings passed down through generations. Features modern seismic isolation technology.
Modern architecture that harmonizes with the shrine building through advanced design. Improved waiting room environment.
Fascinating facts about this place
The "Kodakara Inu" (child-treasure dog) statue was donated by Bridgestone founder Shojiro Ishibashi. Visitors rub their zodiac animal among the 12 signs surrounding the bronze mother dog for blessings of safe childbirth and healthy children.
The shrine sits on a 60cm-wide seismic isolation system that allows the entire building to shift horizontally during earthquakes, protecting worshippers while maintaining traditional shrine architecture above modern engineering.
The shrine inspired the Edo-era phrase "情けありまの水天宮" (compassionate Arima's Suitengu) because the lord opened his private estate shrine to commoners every 5th day of the month, a rare act of generosity that became a popular saying.
The Arima clan adopted the three-comma crest of Arima Shrine's deity Amenominakanushi after being rescued by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, believing the god granted their fortune. Only the current clan head may wear this sacred symbol today.
Seasonal celebrations and special occasions
More ways to continue from this place.
