Yabo Tenmangû (or Yaho Tenmangû) is a shrine in the Yaho area of Kunitachi City in western Tokyo Prefecture. The shrine was established at the turn of the 10th century C.E. by Sugawara no Michitake, third son of renowned polymath Sugawara no Michizane. Michitake had been sent to live in the Kanto region, then called Musashi Provence, and upon hearing of the death of his father, he carved an image of Michizane and had it enshrined. Years later, when Michizane was being deified by the Imperial Court at Kitano Tenmangû in Kyoto, and renamed Tenjin, the God of Wisdom and Learning, Emperor Go-Uda promoted Yabo Shrine to Yabo Tenmangû. Later Tsubo Saburo Tamemori, a descendant of Michitake, moved the shrine from near the current Kunitachi-Fuchu Interchange to its current location. The shrine is home to several Nationally Designated Important Cultural Properties including the naming placard from Emperor Go-Uda, a pair of koma-inu guardian dogs from Emperor Murakami, a Lotus Sutra scroll written by Sugawara no Michizane, and a Wisdom Sutra written by Minamoto no Yoshitsune and others. The main hall and the surrounding forest are also designated as Important Cultural Property by the city and the prefecture.

For the casual: 3. For the educated: 4.

The history of this shrine is the major draw. I would say that if you are passing through the Yaho area, it’s a lovely shrine to visit, but it doesn’t necessarily have that wow factor that would draw people in if they’re pressed for time. I will suggest that if one has the time walking around the Yaho area, particularly when walking the central drag between Yaho Station and Kunitachi Station, the shrine is a lovely little place to catch your breath, take in some of the sights, and enjoy a very lovely little shrine. It’s not the complex that its history would suggest, but I would say it’s enjoyable all the same. Please consider visiting if you have the time in the western half of Tokyo Prefecture.