A visit to Kamakura isn’t complete without a visit to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine. Now I’ve visited Shirakawa-go’s shrine to Hachiman and that pales in comparison to what you’ll see here in Kamakura. To call this shrine visit a spectacle is probably an understatement.
Tsurugaoka Hachimangū Shrine: The Most Important Shinto Shrine in Kamakura
If you come here during the winter season then expect to see and interact with a lot of people. This was after the New Year and people were still visiting in droves. Of course, I really can’t blame them since there is a lot to see and experience here. Also, the New Year’s is kind of shrine visiting season for a lot of Japanese so do keep that in mind when you plan your trip.
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Once you pass the Torii Gate, you’ll immediately come across this sign and the Taikobashi or Drum Bridge. The sign basically details the things that you’re not allowed to do or bring to the shrine. Like with most shrines and temples (such as the Hokokuji Temple and the Hase-dera Temple) I’ve visited, they don’t allow dogs, bikes (or any other vehicle really), smoking, and collecting or capturing wildlife and plantlife.
This is a sign detailing a brief history of the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine and the annual events celebrated here. It lists the deities enshrined here (Emperor Ojin, Empress Jingu, and Himegami) and talks about how Minamoto Yoriyoshi founded it in 1063. The shrine was initially in another location though and it was only in 1180 that it was relocated to its where it’s at now thanks to the efforts of Minamoto Yoritomo. As for events, the shrine holds yearly celebrations for New Year, Bonbori Festival, Purificatio Rituals, Yabusame (horseback archery), and a Thanksgiving Ritual.
The Taikobashi or Drum Bridge is probably one of the most distinctive attractions here at Tsurugaoka. It spans across a channel that connects the Genji-Ike pond on the left and the Heike-ike Pond on the right (from this viewpoint). Right behind it in this picture is the San-no-Torii Gate which I passed through earlier.
After taking the previous picture, I then turned around and was greeted with this scenic view. Over on the horizon is the main Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine and as you can see in this shot, there were quite a lot of people there when I visited.
Here’s a map of the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine right next to a massive stone lantern. This is a couple of steps past the Taikobashi and is pretty easy to spot. If you didn’t do your research about the place beforehand then I suggest you check here first.
So the map isn’t just for the shrine. It also has info covering some of the other sightseeing attractions in Kamakura (which happen to be adjacent to the shrine). Other than these, the map also highlights the attractions these sites offer.
Before I headed to the main shrine, I decided to check two ponds in this complex. The first pond I visited is the Genji-ike Pond which is to the right of the path (if you’re facing the main shrine). The first sign you’ll see in this picture basically says Hataage Benzaiten Shrine.
While waiting for the people to pass through I took a picture of the shrine and the pond from a nearby stone lantern monument. I couldn’t make out what ducks these were but they did seem like they were happy swimming around in the pond.
There weren’t that many people at this point so I decided to go and check out the shrine. This particular sign is advertising an enmusubi omikuji available at the shrine. As Benzaiten is considered a goddess of love and beauty, it’s kind of expected that shrines dedicated to her would have omikuji or sacred lots relating to, well, love.
This sign details the history of the Hataage Benzaiten Shrine. While Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine was established in 1180, this pond and shrine in particular was created two years later in 1182. The pond and the island were then removed at a later date and then rebuilt in 1956. As for the shrine, it was eventually restored in 1980 to its state right now.
I was actually curious as to what these were and found out that they’re dedications for the deceased. The pigeons here also seemed curious and were actually very friendly to the visitors milling about this area.
As is customary with a lot of shrines and temples here in Japan, worshippers are encouraged to symbolically cleanse and purify themselves through these chozubachi. You’ll find this particular chozuya as you pass the entrance of the island.
A few steps from the chozuya is this omikuji kake where you hang your unlucky omikuji. I will say this though, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of omikuji on here. Most shrines and temples that I’ve gone to had omikuji kake that were overflowing with omikuji.
Here we finally have the shrine to Benzaiten. I’m probably just misremembering but this might be the first time I’ve seen Shide (the zigzag-shaped pieces of paper) on a saisen bako. I usually find these hanging around shimenawa (the rope hung around torii gates and sacred trees).
If there’s an omikuji kake, you’re likely going to find an ema kake not far from it. This one is right next to the shrine, a couple of steps away from the omikuji kake, and really close to the flag dedications/memorials I pictured earlier. Pictured behind it is the building where you buy the omikuji and ema.
After checking out the Hataage Benzaiten Shrine, I then went back on the path to the main shrine. While walking there, I came across this impressive looking chozuya. I’m not sure why but it reminded me a lot of the gates in the temples that I’ve been to on this Japan trip.
I’m now really close to the main shrine but before I can get there, I’ll need to go through the Maiden. It’s that large structure that looks like a shrine but is actually an open pavilion. This is where Shinto dances, music performances, and (more importantly) rituals take place.
It looks like they’re readying the Maiden for a ritual with all the ladders and workers milling about. If you want, you can also drop an offering on the saisen bako found here.
If you’re facing the Maiden and turn right, you’ll come across these busy looking buildings. The smaller building on the left is the Goshuin seal awarding center. If you got a Goshuin then you’re going to want to line up here to have it stamped. As for the building on the right, that’s the Wakamiya shrine which acts as a secondary shrine similar to the Hataage Benzaiten Shrine.
To the left of the Maiden, you’ll see this pavilion with a peculiar ring made of thatch that’s large enough for two to three people to pass through. Called an Oharai-sho, this is an area where worshippers can pay JPY100 to go through a self-purification ritual (which involves passing through the chinowa or thatched ring) for protection from disaster and good health.
So typically, sake makers and breweries would donate their sake to shrines like Tsurugaoka Hachimangu. This is where the shrine sort of recognizes these donations. The sake on display here come from brands such as Shinsei, Sakuramasamune, Imanishiki, and Masumi (just to name a few).
After seeing the sake display, I decided to check the Ohaira-sho self-purification ritual. It was pretty straightforward and there’s actually instructions for it. After offering the JPY100, you proceed to this area and go through the chinowa from the front. Then you’re going to need to go around to its left, then to the right, and finally one more time to the left. Once you’re done with this, proceed to the red boxes (in the background) to finish the purification ritual.
Just behind the Oharai-sho is the Great Ginkgo Tree or at least what remains of it. The tree actually fell in 2010 and its trunk (covered by the roof of the purification ritual pavilion) was transplanted to where it is now. Thankfully, a successor tree is currently growing and protected by an enclosing rope called shimenawa (with shide hanging from it) at the place where the once Great Ginkgo stood.
I’m now at the very foot of the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine’s Grand Stairway. I must say, the view from down here is actually really nice. The shrine just looks massive and imposing. Guarding the Grand Stairway on each side are a pair of komainu or guardian/lion dogs.
As I was climbing up the Grand Stairway I actually came to a realization: the stairs here look really clean. Considering there are probably thousands coming here daily during peak months this level of cleanliness is quite impressive.
At last! I finally reached the top of the Grand Stairway and now I’m face to face with the main shrine’s Haiden or oratory hall and the Romon Gate that leads to it. I thought the shrine looked impressive from the bottom of the Grand Stairway but up close, it’s actually even better. The details on the structure (especially the eaves and rafters) look absolutely intricate and despite being built in the early 1800s it looks like it’s been meticulously maintained.
I was actually wondering earlier why the Hataage Benzaiten Shrine didn’t have that many ema and omikuji. Turns out, everyone probably went straight here to get and hang their ema. You’ll find these to the left of the Haiden (if you’re facing the shrine).
I was initially perplexed as to who this figure was. My first thought was that this could be Hachiman himself. After a bit of research though, I found out that this is actually an enshrined warrior. Instead of Nio statues, Shinto has these enshrined warriors guarding their gates. In this case, this warrior is named Un-gayaku (likely the Shinto counterpart to Ub-gyo) and he’s usually depicted as holding a sword.
As for the enshrined warrior on the right, he’s called A-gayaku and he’s likely the Shinto counterpart of the Nio guardian A-gyo. Much like A-gyo, A-gayaku is depicted with his mouth open and with a bow and arrow on his hands (to further differentiate him from Un-gayaku).
Since I wasn’t allowed to use my phone’s camera inside the Honden or the Main Hall, I decided to just take a shot of this area instead. If you’re wondering where this view might be, it’s actually the area immediately to the right of A-gayaku’s column.
I went back to the ema kake and read up on the Honden a little more. Apparently, the architecture used for the shrine is called gongen-zukuri and the hallmark of this style is the inclusion of a main sanctuary (honden), worship hall (haiden), and offertory hall (heiden) under one building.
Just opposite the ema kake, you’ll find this Omikuji Counter. Here you’ll also be able to get the ema that you can write on and then hang on the ema kake I pictured earlier. As for the omikuji, you’ll also be able to get them here though there won’t be an omikuji kake for you to hang them.
That’s right. Instead of an omikuji kake, you’ll need to drop your unfavorable omikuji on this box. The text on the side of the box also relates a story of how Minamoto no Yoritomo himself drew an omikuji when he decided to relocate the shrine to its current location.
After getting my omikuji and hanging my ema, I went on the path to the left of the temple to find the Maruyama Inari Shrine. Situated in a small mound/hill, the shrine featured these torii gates reminiscent of the ones you’ll find in Kyoto.
Here’s a short history of the shrine which I recommend reading. It talks about the shrine being the oldest in Tsurugaoka Hachimangu with it being around since the Muromachi period. Much like the main shrine though, it was relocated from another location.
This is the stairs going up to the shrine and let me tell you, the pictures don’t do it justice. While it might evoke eerie vibes, you’ll actually feel the opposite as you climb up. I personally felt a sense of calm and peace that was probably thanks to the shade and a gentle breeze that seemed to follow me as I was going up.
If you’re wondering what the red flags are then we’re in the same boat. It seems like they’re just flags with the name of the Maruyama Inari Shrine though I might be wrong.
I’ve finally reached the top of the hill and I can finally see the torii serving as an entrance to the shrine. I will say, the area here is actually quite spacious and surprisingly has really few visitors. I think I only saw a handful when I climbed here and even when I went down.
Anyway, here’s the shrine along with the torii gate and the kitsune guarding them. The red bib on the kitsune actually reminded me of the jizo bodhisattva that I saw on the Zen Buddhist temples I visited on this trip.
You’ll find this map on the Omikuji Counter building. While it is expansive, the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine is pretty easy to walk around in so you likely won’t be using this much. That said, it’s still a great way to reorient yourself if you do have a hard time finding a specific landmark or area.
With my visit to the Main and Maruyama Inari Shrine done, I decided to check out a couple of other shrines in the area (since I had time to spare). I went down the Grand Stairway and found this path with a small bridge ahead near the Wakamiya Shrine.
Prior to crossing the bridge, I read this sign advertising the Kamakura Kokuhoukan Museum. It’s actually pretty close but I ended up saving that visit for another time. Instead, I decided to check out Shirahata Shrine which should be just up ahead from the bridge.
Here’s a picture of the bridge just before I crossed it. It’s honestly not much to look at and I think it might be relatively new (at least when compared to the buildings in the shrine complex.
So apparently this pond has a name and it’s actually called Yanagihara-shinchi. According to the Hachimangu website, the pond regularly holds Cricket and Firefly Release Festivals. Moreover, the area around here is said to be one of the best looking during Autumn. Unfortunately, it was already winter (though it wasn’t snowing) when I came here so I was unable to catch the scenic views.
This is what the path looks like after crossing the bridge. From where I am, you’ll see two of this area’s landmarks. Called the Crane & Turtle Stones, these are said to shine like their namesakes if you poured water over them. I didn’t have water with me so I sadly wasn’t able to check if this was true or not.
Prior to getting to Shirahata Shrine, I came across this tree that had a dedication/memorial to it. The Romaji on it says that it’s a Sanetomo-zakura. Looking it up, I found that this is a cherry tree dedicated to Minamoto no Sanetomo in 2013 by the Wildfire Festival Executive Committee.
Seeing Shirahata Shrine, I couldn’t help but feel like it looks out of place from the other shrines here. This probably has to do with the fact that while most other shrines and buildings were predominantly colored red, this one had a black motif to it. The shrine is dedicated to both Minamoto no Yoritomo and Minamoto no Sanetomo who were both instrumental in shaping Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine’s history.
This is one of the exits to the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine. I will say that this was probably one of the most chill and straightforward shrine visits I’ve had in Japan. The distances between the shrine’s main attractions/shrines were relatively short and even the Grand Stairway wasn’t as exhausting to climb. Overall, I think you’re probably going to enjoy going here especially if you like detail-heavy architecture.
