Ôkunitama Jinja is arguably the most significant shrine in western Tokyo Prefecture and is considered one of the Five Major Shrines in Tokyo along with Meiji Jingû, Yasukuni Jinja, Hie Jinja, and Tôkyô Daijingû. The shrine claims to have been built almost two thousand years ago in in 111 C.E. by the oracle of the 12th emperor, Emperor Keikô. However, since Japan does not have a written record prior to the Asuka Period (c. 540 C.E.to 710 C.E.), Emperor Keikô is presumed to be a legendary figure, and the origins of the shrine cannot be verified. On the other hand, the shrine has been noted in the earliest official government documents of the Asuka Period when Tokyo was then called Musashi Provence. The shrine is home to many gods, but the key god enshrined is Ôkunitama which is another name for Ôkuninushi, son of Susanô-ô no kami, and is the heavenly embodiment of Japan (while the living embodiment is the emperor of course). Ôkuninushi’s main shrine is Izumo Taisha in Shimane Prefecture, arguably the holiest shrine in Japan, so for Ôkunitama Jinja to be his home in Eastern Japan is a highly significant establishment. The main festival at Ôkunitama is the Kurayami Matsuri, or the “Darkness Festival,” which takes place every year during Golden Week and reaches its peak on May 5th, the day the shrine was said to have been founded. The festival gathers massive drums, mikoshi (portable shrines), and floats from all across the Kanto Region, and ends with priests riding sacred horses up and down the streets and shooting a target with an arrow for good luck. In Fall, the Kuri Matsuri (chestnut festival) brings equally large crowds with similar events and frivolities taking place.

For the casual: 10. For the educated: 10.

Ôkunitama Jinja is unlikely to be on your list of go-to places when visiting Tokyo, but I cannot recommend it enough. What’s there to miss? The shrine is massive, which is saying something for the crowded landscape that is the Tokyo Megalopolis. When everywhere leaves you feeling claustrophobic and overcrowded, Ôkunitama Jinja is a wide, wooded, relaxing break from it all with minimal crowds outside of festival season. When there are festivals, the shrine becomes heavily inundated with people, food stalls, and floats playing music while dancers wear masks and prance around as their characters. Mikoshi are carried around the neighborhoods, people standing atop giant drums are rolled through the streets, and priests ride sacred horses down the main street at night; what are you waiting for? I mentioned it above too, but the whole festival culminates with the head priest reenacting the shrine’s founding then getting on horseback to shoot a target with an arrow to bring peace for the next year. I say shoot but it’s more like the chief priest sitting on a horse while shooting the visual equivalent of a kid’s toy at a paper target a foot or so away. The horse, meanwhile, is clearly not ok with small flying objects near its face and needs to be held in check by its trainers. I have been very fortunate to live near the shrine and even more fortunate to be able to go to the Kurayami Matsuri multiple times, and for someone who enjoys photography in my spare time, there is so much to photograph particularly when the festival lasts for 4 days. Waiting for several hours between events can be a little rough, but I always love being able to walk around and enjoy the sights and sounds. If you’re in Japan for Golden Week, I highly recommend stopping by this shrine to at least enjoy an event or two.