Japanese people often visit shrines to pray for good fortune or blessings in life. Praying at a shrine may seem like an uncomplicated task -- but not exactly. Japanese shrines are dedicated to different deities, which means they answer to different prayers. When asking for specific blessings, it is best to pay homage to a relevant shrine.
Not sure which shrine to visit? Whether praying for business success or good grades, Tokyo has many shrines where the gods will hear your prayers. For readers in search for of true love, this article contains plenty of tips on where to pray. We will visit six shrines in Tokyo famous for matchmaking.
Get a taste of Japanese culture while praying for luck in love
Let divinity enhance your love luck
Since ancient times, Japanese people have believed in the idea of “yao-yorozu-no-kami,” or eight million gods. According to Shinto faith, deities exist in everything surrounding us, and various gods are enshrined in about 80-thousand shrines across Japan.
Shrines are excellent places to learn about Japanese tradition and culture, so make sure to visit them during your trip around Japan.
This article will focus on Tokyo shrines famous for “enmusubi,” which literally means forging good relationships. Let’s take a closer look at the history of these shrines and some popular items worth checking out during your visit.
【Suginami ward】Ohmiya Hachiman-gu shrine
Main shrine of Ohmiya Hachiman-gu shrine
Wish for everlasting love in Tokyo’s center
Ohmiya Hachiman-gu shrine is more than 950 years old and is Tokyo’s third largest shrine. It is also known as the “navel” of Tokyo, because of its geographical location.
Since the naval connects a fetus with its mother, the shrine is believed to be full of special energy that facilitates romance and childbirth.
Ohmiya Hachiman-gu shrine: the "naval" of Tokyo
A pair of sacred trees stand inside the shrine grounds. The tall gingko trees represent a married couple, standing side by side. The mighty site of the “meoto (married couple) gingko” will certainly give you energy to attract true love.
The masculine-looking gingko
A trio of deities are worshipped
Ohmiya Hachiman shrine is dedicated to three deities, Emperor Ohjin and his father and mother, Emperor Chuai and Empress Jingu. Their strong family bond is featured in many stories, and these gods are said to bring good fortune in matchmaking, childbirth and child rearing.
More power spots and temple stamps
Ohmiya Hachiman shrine has other spots full of spiritual energy.
Sacred water for longevity
Tamashimizu-sha is a tiny shrine standing next to a well of sacred water.
Standing to the right of the main shrine building is Ohmiya Tenmangu, which is dedicated to the god of literature, Sugawara Michizane. Various events take place throughout the year to celebrate the late 9th century scholar, who was also a poet and politician. Many students join festivals held on the 25th day of each month, and the popular children’s festival on July 24 or 25.
Ohmiya tenmangu celebrates a famous 9th century scholar
Remember to pay a visit to the sacred tree known as “kyosei no ki,” or the coexisting tree, which is also a popular power spot. The Japanese nutmeg tree has a cherry tree growing on top of it. The two trees seem to support each other and attract many couples to come and pray for marital harmony.
Ohmiya Tenmangu's shrine stamp (300円）
Ohmiya Hachiman shrine issues two official stamps. You can get one of each at Ohmiya Hachiman shrine and Ohmiya Tenman shrine. The stamps are 300 yen each.
【Chiyoda ward】Hie shrine
Hie shrine's beautiful crimson gate
Monkeys are everywhere....but why?
Hie Shrine stands in the Akasaka business district, near government buildings. Visitors can access the hilltop shrine via three routes, which each start from huge torii gates.
Hie Shrine's Sanno torii gate
Once inside the shrine compounds, monkeys are everywhere. Usually at shrines, the main buildings are protected by lion-dog like statues – but not at Hie Shrine.
In Japanese culture, monkeys are traditionally considered to be mediators between the gods and humans, and humans respect monkeys.
Monkeys are also cherished symbols of Hie Shrine because of the play of words. The Japanese word for monkey (pronounced ”saru” or “en”) is a homonym for Japanese words meaning “to expel” and “good fortune.” Hie shrine’s beloved monkeys are said to drive away evil spirits, boost one’s fortunes, and help forge good ties.
female monkey said bring blessings to expectant mothers, women who want to become pregnant and anyone looking for love.
The male monkey to the right of the main shrine building is believed to bring business success, while the female monkey on the left side is a symbol of pregnancy and good relationships. Give these monkey statues a gentle pat to increase your luck.
Mainstay god: protector of all things on earth
main hall of Hie shrine
Hie Shrine is devoted to Ohyama-kui-no-kami, who appears in one of the oldest records of Japanese history. He is enshrined with other gods featured in Japanese mythology.
Ohyama-kui-no-kami is worshipped as one of the earthly gods ruling over Japan’s mountains and waters. He is also the protector of all creatures and oversees their growth. This god is said to answer all kinds of prayers for good fortune, including business success and safe childbirths.
Lovely shrine souvenirs
Hie shrine's goshuin official stamps (500 yen）
Remember to get Hie Shrine’s official stamp, or goshuin. The shrine gives out small mementoes with the stamp, including a bookmark. Visitors receive different bookmarks depending on the day of their visit. The bookmarks have either a checkered pattern that is used throughout the year, or a pattern that changes every month. All bookmarks have cute monkeys on them.
monkeys bring good luck in various ways
Before you leave the shrine, get an ema wish board (1000 yen) and ink your prayers for a soul mate. Or purchase a lucky charm (600 yen). There many other charms for traffic safety, pregnancies and business luck, and yes, they are all marked with monkeys.
【Chiyoda ward】Tokyo Dai-jingu shrine
Tokyo Dai-jingu's main shrine complex
The Tokyo branch of the famed Ise Jingu shrine
Built in 1880, Tokyo Dai-jingu shrine attracts many visitors seeking everlasting love. The shrine is a branch of one of Japan's oldest shrines -- Ise Jingu in central Japan. Ise Shrine is renowned as one of the most powerful shrines when it comes to love-related matters.
Tokyo Dai-jingu shrine worships three deities who oversee the creation and growth of all things on earth. Therefore, the shrine attracts many worshippers hoping to forge good relationships in their lives.
hand-washing shelter at Tokyo Dai-jingu shrine
Tokyo Dai-jingu shrine is where the first Shinto-styled Japanese weddings were held. These nuptial ceremonies take place at shrines throughout Japan. Tokyo Dai-jingu is featured as a wedding venue in a 1912 novel by one of Japan's most beloved authors, Natsume Soseki.
English versions of fortune slips
Many fortune slips, some in English
English fortune slips are available for the many visitors from abroad. The shrine offers many different types of fortune slips. Some of them even tell one's fortune according to blood type.
Colorful letter paper. Some colors are available only on certain months
Tokyo Dai-jingu shrine has many items to enhance good fortune. There are special boxes in which visitors can post messages to the gods, to either thank or ask them for their blessings. (prices vary, 300-500 yen)
Visit on a rainy day for small perks
Tokyo Dai-jingu's shrine stamps (500 yen）
Collect a goshu-in shrine stamp from the shrine office next to the main shrine. Visitors can apply for a stamp between 9AM to 5PM. We visited on a weekday morning, but saw many people forming a queue before 9AM.
Along with the goshu-in stamp, you will receive a souvenir sticker and a booklet about Tokyo Dai-jingu shrine.
Extra gift for anyone who applies for a shrine stamp on a rainy or snowy day
If you visit Tokyo Dai-jingu shrine on a rainy day, you will receive a clear file with cute umbrella motifs. The shrine thanks visitors who brave the rain to pay homage, so do not let bad weather discourage you from paying a visit.
【Minato ward】Akasaka Hikawa Jinja shrine
Akasaka Hikawa shrine takes visitors back in time
The shrine has survived major earthquakes and wartime air raids.
Akasaka Hikawa shrine stands in Minato ward. The shrine's main wooden buildings were built on orders by the Tokugawa Shogunate's 8th feudal lord, Tokugawa Yoshimune.
The shrine has survived massive earthquakes since the Edo period and US air strikes during World War Two. The main shrine complex is designated as an important cultural property of Tokyo.
Asakusa Hikawa shrine is nestled in lush, green surroundings, and is full of fresh air.
Some of the highlights of the shrine are its torii gate, stone lanterns, and lion-dog statues, which are all engraved with dates from the Edo period.
the majestic Akasaka Hikawa shrine
The 400-year old gingko tree is another highlight of Akasaka Hikawa shrine. Minato ward has designated the tree as a natural monument. Most of the tree trunk was destroyed in US air raids during World War Two and the center is hollow. Despite the damage, the tree has managed to survive.
The branches are full of bright green leaves in the spring, and burning reds in the fall. Despite its appearance, the tree is full of energy that is truly inspiring.
Giant ginkgo tree keeps growing without most of its trunk
Pray for good luck in love, life, family and business
Akasaka Hikawa shrine is dedicated to a family of three deities that appear in Japanese mythology. The father -- Susano-ono-mikoto -- destroyed an eight-headed, eight-tailed serpent that forced a family to sacrifice its daughters every year. Susano-ono-mikoto married the remaining daughter and they had a child. The trio of gods are believed to ward off evil spirits, give blessings in relationships, and business prosperity.
Asakusa Hikawa Jinja's shrine stamp (300円）
This is the goshuin shrine stamp issued at Asakusa Hikawa Jinja.
Fancy collecting go-shuin stamps from all of Tokyo's 10 major shrines? Then purchase a go-shuin stamp book at Asakusa Hikawa Jinja, which was designated as one of Tokyo's 10 guardian shrines in 1868 by the Meiji Emperor.
Amulets and go-shuin stamps are collected from the shrine office next to the shrine building
###【Minato Ward】Shiba Dai-jingu shrine
Shiba Daijingu worships the same gods as one of Japan's most sacred shrines
Mainstay gods -- the Sun goddess, and the goddess of farming and industry
Shiba Daijingu shrine is located behind Minato ward's office buildings. The shrine has been standing here for more than a century. It worships the same two deities as Japan's most sacred shrine of Ise -- in central Japan -- and is affectionately called the "Ise of Kanto (Tokyo and its surrounding areas)."
Shiba Dai-jingu shrine also celebrates important figures in Japanese history, including the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate, Tokugawa Ieyasu.
Shiba Daijingu shrine is famous for answering prayers for good fortune, love, money, business. The gods are also said to cure eye disease.
Shiba Dai-jingu shrine
Shiba Dai-jingu shrine is featured in the work of popular Edo era woodblock print artists, such as Utagawa Hiroshige and Katsushika Hokusai. For centuries, the shrine has been a key place of worship.
###Ginger candy and amulet giveaways
goshuin shrine stamp (300円) comes with ginger candy and good-luck charm
Shiba Dai-jingu shrine offers special gifts for those who apply for a goshuin stamp -- ginger candy and an amulet meant to protect you while you are out and about.
The neighborhood around the shrine used to grow ginger and offered its harvests to the shrine's gods.
Ginger has been used since olden times to fix ailments and is said to be an auspicious food that drives away evil and prevents epidemics.
"Ginger mound" standing next to the torii gate
Shiba Dai-jingu has a wide selection of good-luck charms to bring good fortune and drive away evil spirits. Some are specifically meant to answer prayers for marriage, good test scores, and successful surgery.
So many choices
Among the many lucky charms on offer, we recommend the "strong luck" charm. It is a powerful amulet that attracts the utmost good luck. The color of the amulet is considered to be the lucky color of the year. Only a limited number is available, so hurry and get your amulet before this year's version is gone.
【Taito ward】Imado shrine
The main shrine of Imado shrine
Dedicated to Japan's first married couple
Imado shrine is located in a neighborhood outside the tourist area of Asakusa. Japan's first married couple is enshrined here, along with an ancient emperor honored as a military god. One of Japan's seven lucky gods are also celebrated at Imado shrine.
Imado shrine has made a reputation for itself for matchmaking, partly because of its address. Due to a play on Japanese words, part of the shrine's address sounds the same as "good couple."
Rows of mini wooden board displaying various wishes
Imado shrine was first built in 1063 as Imado Hachiman shrine. In 1937, it merged with nearby Hakusan shrine and was renamed Imado shrine. Besides matchmaking, Imado shrine is known to answer prayers for better fortune and success, both personal and work-related.
Imado shrine's goshuin stamp (300 yen）
This is the goshuin shrine stamp of Imado shrine, with cute maneki-neko beckoning cats and the deity of longevity.
Meet the shrine's maneki neko lucky cats
Cute watering cans. Cats are everywhere inside the shrine compound
Imado shrine is completely surrounded by cats. Not real cats, but maneki-neko lucky cats which are everywhere. This neighborhood is traditionally known for ceramic making, and the lucky cats have been a favorite motif. Some argue that Imado shrine is the birthplace of the maneki-neko cat, although others have claimed that honor too. The main shrine hall is lined with countless lucky cat figures offered by the shrine's worshippers. Consider yourself lucky if you run into the shrine's most beloved feline--a white colored stray called Nami-chan.
This portable shrine is for decoration only
In May 2019, the shrine unveiled a portable "mikoshi" shrine designed by the chief priest's wife. It is on display in the main shrine hall. The "mikoshi' shrine is for decorative purposes only. It is adorned with maneki-neko cats and countless heart shapes -- symbols of love.
Explore Japan's history while visiting Tokyo's spiritual sites
Tokyo is said to be home to almost two thousand shrines. They are dedicated to different gods who grant different blessings. All of the six shrines featured in this article are said to boost one's luck in finding true love.
Try doing a little research before offering prayers at these famed shrines. It will surely make your shrine experience more enjoyable, and may even increase your chances of having your prayers heard.
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