Admission
Free
Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture
At a Glance
Built in 1614 to stop Christian conversion, the shrine required all residents to register there by 1634, a clever way to identify hidden Christians in Japan's most Christian city at the time.
A Shugendō priest named Aoki Kensei performed the dramatic yutate-sai ritual here in 1626, plunging his bare hands into boiling water to prove his communion with the kami, yet almost nobody showed up to watch.
This shrine offers 1 different goshuin designs
Regular
Free
Visit on a weekday morning rather than weekends or October festival dates if you want to avoid crowds and have space to move through the shrine complex at your own pace.
Plan your visit for October 7-9 if you want to experience the Yokkaichi Festival, where the shrine's famous Ōnyūdō festival float (a designated Tangible Folk Cultural Property) is paraded through the streets.
Look for the distinctive komainu (guardian lion-dogs) scattered throughout the shrine grounds, particularly the 'money-doubling lion' and the 'Stop Lions,' which locals believe have special properties.
Bring cash if you want to make an offering or purchase omamori (protective amulets) at the shrine, as some smaller shrines in Japan don't have card payment systems readily available.
Share how your visit was to help other travelers.
Fascinating facts about this place
Built in 1614 to stop Christian conversion, the shrine required all residents to register there by 1634, a clever way to identify hidden Christians in Japan's most Christian city at the time.
A Shugendō priest named Aoki Kensei performed the dramatic yutate-sai ritual here in 1626, plunging his bare hands into boiling water to prove his communion with the kami, yet almost nobody showed up to watch.
The annual Yokkaichi Festival in October features an Ōnyūdō festival float, a supernatural creature from Japanese folklore, designated as a Tangible Folk Cultural Property of Mie Prefecture.
The shrine's 277-step stone staircase leads visitors up Mount Tamazono, and the complex features unusually diverse komainu guardian lions, including a famous 'money-doubling lion' with special properties.
More ways to continue from this place.