About Hongo Hikawa Shrine
Shinto is Japan’s indigenous religion and there are more than 80,000 Shinto shrines across the country. Approximately 280 of them are Hikawa Shrines which are mostly located in the Greater Tokyo Area. Kami (deities) enshrined at Hikawa Shrine are Susanoo-no-mikoto and Kushinada-hime. Although Hongo Hikawa Shrine is a small jinja in a residential neighborhood of Nakano, Tokyo, there is something very unique about it. One of our priests has lived in the United States for more than two decades and he is not only fluent in English but familiar with Western culture as well. We honor a diversity of cultures and personalities, and welcome anyone from all over the world.
Since its foundation in 1469 as a branch of Musashi Ichinomiya Hikawa Shrine in Saitama, Hongo Hikawa Shrine has been loved and worshiped by the residents of Hongo Village (now Honcho and Yayoicho, Nakano) for a long time. However, it was burned down in May, 1945 as a result of the bombing of Tokyo during the World War II. Though it was left in ruin for some time, the Shrine was finally rebuilt in 1955 thanks to the effort and passion of many citizens. It’s been almost 70 years since the reconstruction of the Shrine, and we celebrated the 550th anniversary in 2019.
Hongo Hikawa Shrine offers unique services such as a prayer for pets (animals), seasonal Shinto goshuin (visiting certificate) and bon-odori summer festivals. We also have a variety of omamori (amulets) for your personal needs and wishes. We will be happy to provide detailed information regarding Hongo Hikawa Shrine and Shinto as a religion, culture and tradition of Japan.
Please feel free to email or visit us anytime. The Shrine is located only 10 minutes (three stops on the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line) from Shinjuku, one of the largest entertainment, shopping and business districts in Tokyo.
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