Kuramae Jinja (藏前神社)

Kuramae Jinja (藏前神社)

Kuramae Jinja (藏前神社/蔵前神社) is a Shinto shrine located in the Kuramae District of Taito-ku, Tokyo.  It was founded on August 5, 1693, by Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, the fifth shogun of the Edo Shogunate, by enshrining the kami from Iwashimizu Hachimangu in Yamashiro Province (now part of Kyoto Prefecture).

Since then, the shrine was highly revered as a guardian deity for warding off evil at Edo Castle's kimon, the northeast corner, and as a one of the place of prayers for the Tokugawa Family.

Historical records, such as Kobunaibiko (御府内備考) and Jishakakiage (寺社書上), show the shrine burned down in 1732 and was relocated to Asakusa Mishima-cho.  It was restored to its original location in Kuramae (Yahata-cho) twelve years later.  During this time, it had a betto-ji called Otokoyama Daigoin (雄徳山大護院), in line with the widespread shinbutsu-shugo.

Haiden of Kuramae Jinja

During the Edo period, the official name of the shrine was Iwashimizu Hachimangu (石清水八幡宮).  However, it was commonly known as Kuramae Hachiman (藏前八幡) or Higashi Iwashimizugu (東石清水宮).

With the Meiji Government's order to separate Shinto and Buddhism, Otokoyama Daigoin was abolished.  In 1874, the shrine was renamed Iwashimizu Jinja (石清水神社), but switched back to Iwashimizu Hachimangu in 1886.

The shrine building was later destroyed in the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake and during World War II.

In September 1947, the shrine merged with the neighboring Inari shrine and Kitano Tenmangu (北野天満宮).  It was renamed Kuramae Jinja in March 1951.  In October 1995, Kuramae Jinja also merged with its subordinate shrine, Shiogama Jinja (鹽竈神社).

Shrine office

Kuramae Jinja currently enshrines the kami Hondawakenosumera-mikoto (誉田別天皇) (also known as Emperor Ojin [應神天皇]), Okinagatarashihime-no-mikoto (息長足姫命) (also known as Empress Jingu [神功皇后]), Hime-no-ookami (姫大神), Ukanomitama-no-mikoto (倉稲魂命), Sugawara no Michizane (菅原道真公), and Shiotsuchinoikina-no-mikoto (塩土翁命).

West of the shrine building is the subordinate shrine of Fukutoku Inari Jinja (福徳稲荷神社) enshrining Ukanomitama-no-mitoko (倉稲魂命).

Fukutoku Inari Jinja (福徳稲荷神社)

The shrine is also home to a cat named Ponta.

Ponta