Seven Inari Shrines in Ginza

Saiwai Inari Shrine, which was established as a branch shrine of Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto, has been revered as the guardian deity of Ginza 1-chome since the Edo period. It is said that during the mid-Edo period, a “Tachi no Ichi” market, where katanas and short swords were bought and sold, was held in this area, and for a time, the shrine was known by the nickname “Tachi-uri Inari (Sword-Seller Inari).”

Although it has been twice destroyed by fire―once in the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 and again during the air raids of World War II―it has been rebuild by the local community. It once faced Namiki-dori Street, where its vermilion torii gate and shrine building served as landmarks, watching over the people coming and going in Ginza for many years. However, it was relocated to its current site as part of an area redevelopment project. In 2014, a new main hall was constructed, transforming the shrine into a sanctuary that feels equal parts modern and sacred, with the natural wood and soft lighting creating a solemn atmosphere.

The doors of the shrine, as shown in the photo, are opened only during special occasions, such as the Hatsuuma Festival. It is believed to bring good fortune in business, peace and prosperity in the household, and matchmaking. When paying your respects to the shrine, which stands in quiet repose, please do so from outside the doors, and experience the history of this shrine that has continued to watch over the Ginza district through the ages.

Asahi Inari Shrine, located in the corner of a building on Matsuya-dori Street, will catch your eye with its red torii gate. This is actually the worship hall of the shrine; its main hall can be found on the roof of the building. It has a very rare design, in which the main hall is connected to the ground by a pipe. It is also known as the inspiration for the shrine featured in the animated film “Weathering With You,” and attracts many visitors—including fans of the film—from both Japan and abroad.
It has long been revered as the guardian deity of this area, but it is said that the shrine buildings collapsed in the Great Ansei Edo Earthquake of 1855, and that its divine image sank into the Sanjikkenbori moat. Many years later, in 1917, it reappeared when a storm surge struck Ginza, and it was enshrined once again at this site.

Though the shrine buildings were lost to the Great Kanto Earthquake and again amidst the destruction of World War II, the people of Ginza 3-chome rebuilt them. In 1983, coinciding with the renovation of an adjacent building, the shrine took on its current form, with the worship hall on the first floor and the main hall on the roof. In order to meet the conditions set by Jinja Honcho, the national association of Shinto shrines, that a shrine must be directly connected to the earth, a pipe filled with soil connects the main hall on the roof to the ground, ensuring that the connection is made.

At the shrine office, located on the eighth floor of the building, you can obtain amulets (offering fee: 1,000 yen) and Goshuin stamps (offering fee: 500 yen, includes amulet and sticker). This shrine perfectly embodies the spirit of Ginza, where modern buildings and traditional faith coexist. First, pay your respects at the worship hall on the first floor, and if the roof is open to the public, be sure to visit the main hall as well.

Located on the corner of the Kabukiza Theatre, one of Tokyo’s most tourist attractions, is Kabuki Inari Shrine. Its vivid vermillion torii gate stands out beautifully against the white exterior walls of the Theatre building.
The deity enshrined here is known as Kabuki Inari Daimyojin. This deity is revered as one who brings peace and well-being to the community, safety to the stage, and full houses for the Kabuki performances.
Prior to 2013, when the current Theatre building was constructed, it was enshrined within a wall bordering the grounds of the building, so visits were limited only to Kabukiza staff and theatergoers. Upon completion of the new Theatre building, the shrine was relocated to a site facing Harumi-dori Street, and today anyone can visit it easily.

At the Hatsuuma and Ninouma festivals, held every February on the first and second Days of the Horse respectively, visitors are served sweet red bean soup and sacred sake during performance intermissions, creating an atmosphere that is even more festive than usual.
Also, throughout the month of February, lanterns called “Jiguchi Andon” are displayed at Kabuki Inari Shrine, as well as at the souvenir shops, Kobikicho Square, and the lobby of the Theatre. Jiguchi Andon are paper lanterns decorated with wordplay based on proverbs and common sayings, accompanied by humorous illustrations. This festival is a rare opportunity to experience the culture of common people from the Edo period, so if you are visiting Japan during that time of year, please be sure to visit the Kabukiza Theatre as well.

You can also obtain amulets (offering fee: 800 yen) and Goshuin stamps (offering fee: 300-500 yen) at Kaomise, the souvenir shop located on the second basement floor of Kobikicho Square. The shop is filled with Kabuki-themed items, making it the perfect place to find souvenirs that are quintessentially Japanese. Be sure to drop by after your shrine visit.

Azuma Inari Shrine can be found along a cobblestone lane lined with charming restaurants. Time flows here so quietly that it’s hard to believe you’re in the heart of Ginza, and the surrounding area has an atmosphere that possesses a charm reminiscent of a corner of an ancient capital.

During Japan’s postwar era, a series of fires broke out in the vicinity of Azuma-dori Street and Mihara-koji Lane, areas that were bustling with activity in those days. Curious local residents looked into the matter, and they discovered that there had once been an Inari shrine in this corner of the neighborhood. They then received a divine spirit from Fushimi Inari Taisha in Kyoto—the head shrine of the approximately 30,000 Inari shrines throughout Japan—and after receiving prayers at Hie Shrine, the local guardian deity, it was enshrined here as Azuma Inari Shrine. It is said that since then, there have been no more fires in the area.

Every year on the first Day of the Horse in February, the Hatsuuma Festival is held to pray for the neighborhood’s prosperity, fire prevention, and protection against theft. During a stroll through the bustling streets of Ginza, take a detour down this cobblestone alley and pay a visit to the small Inari shrine that the local community has preserved for many years.

Azuma Inari Shrine can be found along a cobblestone lane lined with charming restaurants. Time flows here so quietly that it’s hard to believe you’re in the heart of Ginza, and the surrounding area has an atmosphere that possesses a charm reminiscent of a corner of an ancient capital.

During Japan’s postwar era, a series of fires broke out in the vicinity of Azuma-dori Street and Mihara-koji Lane, areas that were bustling with activity in those days. Curious local residents looked into the matter, and they discovered that there had once been an Inari shrine in this corner of the neighborhood. They then received a divine spirit from Fushimi Inari Taisha in Kyoto—the head shrine of the approximately 30,000 Inari shrines throughout Japan—and after receiving prayers at Hie Shrine, the local guardian deity, it was enshrined here as Azuma Inari Shrine. It is said that since then, there have been no more fires in the area.

Every year on the first Day of the Horse in February, the Hatsuuma Festival is held to pray for the neighborhood’s prosperity, fire prevention, and protection against theft. During a stroll through the bustling streets of Ginza, take a detour down this cobblestone alley and pay a visit to the small Inari shrine that the local community has preserved for many years.

Kumagai Inari Shrine can be found between two buildings facing Hanatsubaki-dori Street. What makes this shrine unique is that, because the buildings’ electrical panels are installed behind the shrine, the structure is designed so that the whole shrine―pedestal and all―can be slid forward when building maintenance needs to be done. This is an urban shrine that can only be found in Ginza, designed to provide an ingenious solution to make the most of its limited space.

It is said that during the air raids on Tokyo during World War II, while the surrounding buildings burned to the ground, only the shrine building and its divine image miraculously survived unscathed. Based on this anecdote, it came to be revered as a guardian against fire. Although it was forced to relocate several times due to various urban development projects in the area, thanks to the dedicated efforts of the local community, it was moved to its current location in 2018.

It is also known as a shrine associated with Kumagai Jiro Naozane, a military commander on the Minamoto side during the late Heian period (794-1185) and early Kamakura period (1185-1333). In addition to the Inari deity, also enshrined here is Hachiman, the tutelary deity of the Minamoto clan, in honor of Naozane’s martial valor.

Believed to bring blessings such as business prosperity, victory, and good fortune, as well as protection from misfortune, Kumagai Inari Shrine is also well-loved by people who work in Ginza. This shrine brings together more than 800 years of history with a unique structure adapted to its modern urban setting. Stop by while you’re out shopping or exploring in Ginza and see it for yourself.

On the rooftop of Ginza Six, one of Ginza’s premier shopping complexes, is Kakugo Inari Shrine. This shrine is particularly revered as a deity of fire prevention. It is said that in the aftermath of the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, even as massive fires raged near by, not only did the shrine avoid the flames, but the surrounding area was also spared.

The site where Ginza Six stands today was once home to the long-established Matsuzakaya Ginza department store. Kakugo Inari is a shrine with deep ties to the family that founded Matsuzakaya. That history dates all the way back to the year 1815 in the late Edo period. Its origins lie in a spirit divided from the deity at Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto and enshrined at a villa in the Negishi area belonging to Matsuzakaya founding family.

In 1929, a spirit divided from the deity at Kakugo Inari Shrine was then enshrined in a newly constructed shrine building on the rooftop of the Matsuzakaya department store in Ginza. At that time, the rooftop of Matsuzakaya was a popular leisure spot as well, featuring play equipment and a zoo. From the rooftop of the department store, the shrine watched over Ginza and the people who came there to shop.

Matsuzakaya Ginza shut its doors for the last time in 2013. As part of the redevelopment of the area, including the site where the shrine once stood, Ginza Six opened in 2017, and Kakugo Inari Shrine was relocated to its current location on the roof of the building. Still today, it is revered by people praying for protection from fire and for prosperity in their business.

After visiting the shrine, you can take a stroll through the garden and enjoy breathtaking views of the Tokyo skyline, with highlights such as Tokyo Tower and Tokyo Skytree. You can even enjoy cherry blossom viewing in the spring. In between rounds of shopping, take a bit of time to visit this shrine that has watched over Ginza for more than 200 years and the expansive green space situated high above the metropolis.

When you come upon Toyoiwa Inari Shrine, nestled in a narrow alley between buildings, you can’t help but think, “A shrine here, of all places!?” There are two entrances: one on Suzuran-dori Street and another on Hanatsubaki-dori Street. If you follow the narrow alleyway, using the stone monument facing the street as a landmark, a pair of fox statues and a shrine building will come into view.

This shrine has a very long history, said to have been founded by Yasuda Sakubei, a retainer of Akechi Mitsuhide, a warlord from Japan’s Warring States period (1467-1615). It has long been revered as a deity that protects against fire. It is said that during the Showa era (1926-1989), famed Kabuki actor Ichimura Uzaemon XV would frequently visit the shrine.
Despite its secluded location, hidden away in a spot you might easily walk right past if you didn’t know it was there, worshippers from throughout Japan come to visit it. It is said to be particularly effective in matters of matchmaking, not only in romantic terms, but also for related to professional and personal relationships, as well as forging auspicious ties.

The shrine office is located in the building next to the entrance on the Suzuran-dori Street side, down the stairs on the first basement floor. The amulets and Goshuin stamps you can obtain there change in design and color every year, making it a great place to stop by to commemorate your visit.