Yasukuni Jinja

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Founded in 1869 originally has Shôkonsha, or the Shrine for the Invited Spirits, the shrine was renamed Yasukuni in 1879. As an imperial shrine dedicated to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in war for Japan, the entire shrine complex is filled with statues and memorials commemorating various aspects of the war effort, but is also covered in the golden chrysanthemum motif which is the seal of the imperial family. In 1932 there was a collective enshrinement for all those who died in the service of Japan resulting in almost 2.5 million spirits enshrined in one place. 

Controversy around the shrine comes from incidents starting in 1970 and 1978, which continue to this day. In 1970 and 1978, there were additional enshrinement of Class A, B, and C War Criminals from the second World War. Things get even more complicated when considering that many times since, the acting Prime Minister of Japan has visited the shrine to pay respects while in the capacity of office, an act which is viewed by some to honor those convicted of war crimes. Things don't get much easier when visiting the war museum at Yasukuni and the clear nationalism of an era, which to some had been stopped too soon. 

For the casual and the educated: each experience is different.

I don't know what to tell you readers. Yasukuni Jinja is a difficult place to explain and experience for all the reasons that I mentioned above. Some people go and have a great time, others have come back humbled, while others have left enraged. The shrine is in essence a war memorial to commemorate the lives lost in the name of Japan. In this regard, going to Yasukuni should be no different than going to war memorials in D.C. or anywhere else in the world except that for Japan, so many lives were lost in the monumental defeat which took Japan from the most powerful nation in East Asia to a slum state for the next 20 years. As a Westerner walking around, it felt rather weird walking through a memorial to people whom my grandparents fought. It was fine for me until a group of elderly people came to visit the shrine and they started giving my friend and I glaring looks almost to say, "What the hell are you doing here?" My friend and I from then on spoke in tongues to try and disassociate ourselves from any Allied nation. I encourage caution if you want to visit the museum next door because it is all about the glory of the Japanese Empire and what not. Sure there are some real planes and tanks, but the entire museum store is about remembering what it was like to stand up against the Americans and to control a major part of the world. And yet for all the nationalism, it is critical to remember that though there are some bad eggs enshrined and their contribution to the war is controversial, there are still over 2.5 million people there who are no different from our war veterans. These people fought for what they believed was right and they died doing so, and to that extent they deserve similar respect to our honored dead. 

That being said, Yasukuni is gorgeous beyond all belief. Clean wood, gold, copper, and lacquer decorate the shrine. An outdoor area for sumo and one of the most acclaimed gardens in Japan. Again, visiting Yasukuni Jinja is really up to the viewer because it has such a dark background shrouded in amazing art. A walk down the main drag reminds visitors that this shrine really is devoted to people who lost their lives doing what they felt was right; people hoping that their actions were going to save lives back home. 

This is a memorial to soldiers who wanted two things when they died; clean water and their mothers. This is an abstract monument of a mother bending over to give clean water.

So the person standing at the base on the right is me and I'm 6' 3".

This is the main hall where visitors can pay respects with the main shrine behind it.

Tsukudo Jinja

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Tsukudo Jinja is a small shrine of fairly limited significance, but it does have a connection to the great Kanda Myôjin. Enshrined at Kanda Myôjin is the angry spirit of Taira no Masakado, a warrior from the esteemed Taira family who was betrayed by the Imperial Court and members of his own family. His head was removed and paraded around Kyoto before it started to move again and fly off to a village in Kanto where modern day Tokyo is. The head was first held in a lesser shrine before a spreading plague prompted its move to Kanda Myôjin. Tsukudo Jinja is the original "lesser" shrine where the head of Masakado was first enshrined for a thousand years. Inside Tsukudo Jinja is (was) the supposed box that held the head but was lost in the fire bombings of WW2. 

For the casual: 5. For the educated: 5.

The history of Tsukudo Jinja isn't really what makes this shrine a place to see, rather it's the location of this shrine. Tsukudo Jinja is in a fight against the progressive growth of the surrounding city. Sandwiched between two office buildings, the shrine is not visible from the street except for the red tori and Chinese lions which guard the gate. 

Front side of Tsukudo Jinja.

Back side of Tsukudo Jinja.

Ana-Hachimangû

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Ana-Hachimangû started as a training ground for mounted samurai before it was a shrine. Founded as a training ground by Minamoto no Yoshiie, he turned the site into a shrine to the god Hachiman by enshrining his helmet and swords in 1062 following his victory in the 9 Year War of Tohoku. Later, a monk looking to establish a monastery found a cave near the shrine where a copper statue of Amida Buddha was unearthed. Since Amida Buddha was the Buddhist incarnation of Hachiman, the statue of Amida was also enshrined giving the shrine its current name of Ana-Hachimangû. In the Edo period, Ana-Hachimangû was made the prayer offering shrine for the Tokugawa families. 

For the casual: 6. For the educated: 7.

Ana-Hachimangû is not exactly a major shrine, though its history suggests otherwise. What really makes it stand out is the location and how the shrine is organized. Across the street is Waseda University, considered one of the top universities in Japan and often called the Stanford of Japan (though I disapprove of this comment because Stanfurd). Here, students come to pray for good luck in all sorts of endeavors from studies to sports. The shrine itself is up a small hill which allows the landscaping to create pleasant terraces with various trees, flowering plants, grass lawns, and ponds. Tori gates of bright orange contrast the black and gold of the main hall.

Suwa Jinja

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Suwa Jinja is a shrine which has had a long history of visitations from influential military leaders in history. It was first constructed around the turn of the 9th century as a small local shrine for the surrounding towns and villages. Later, Minamoto no Yoritomo prayed at Suwa Jinja for a successful campaign against rebellious forces in the north. Upon his victory, he rebuilt Suwa Jinja into a proper shrine. Unfortunately, Suwa Jinja would be burnt down and remain demolished for years to come. In the Edo period, Tokugawa Yoshinao would rebuild the shrine after enshrining a portion of the soul from the main Suwa Jinja in Nagano. The current Suwa Jinja in modern day Nishi Waseda has stood since then even surviving the fire bombs of WW2 which burnt Tokyo to the ground. 

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

Suwa Jinja is not a major shrine and its only real affiliation is with the universities like the prestigious Waseda University only a few blocks away. If it was not near the train stations I used every day to get to school I would not have visited it. However, Suwa Jinja is a charming little shrine with trees old and proud. I will always recommend that people stop by and visit if in the area. 

Looking up towards Suwa Jinja from the street.

The main hall of Suwa Jinja is on a bluff which overlooks a small part of the Shinjuku area.

Tsurugaoka Hachimangû

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The biggest shrine and also the easiest to find in Kamakura, Tsurugaoka Hachimangû has played as an important center to the city. Standing at the north end of the main drag, Tsurugaoka stands high above the trees and the surrounding buildings with tori gates lining the drag to the sea. The shrine was founded in 1063 by Minamoto no Yoriyoshi and then later moved to its present location in 1180 by Minamoto no Yoritomo, the founder of the Kamakura period (1180-1333 C.E.). In 1219, Tsurugaoka was the site of the end of Yoritomo's line when his son Sanetomo, was assassinated on the stairs of the shrine by his nephew, Kugyô, who wanted to become the shogun. Four hours later, Kugyô was executed and thus the ruling line ended. The Kamakura government was led from that point on by Yoritomo's wife Hôjô Masako and her family, and because they were not related to Yoritomo by blood, they refused the title of shogun and thereby the Kamakura period is not referred to as a shogunate.

For the casual: 8. For the educated: 9.

Tsurugaoka Hachimangû is a beautiful shrine with gardens and ponds filled with all sorts of life. As a warrior shrine, the good-luck charms and iconography are centered around warriors. During matsuri (festivals), warrior demonstrations like mounted archery are performed. Currently a seed of the previous sacred tree at the shrine is growing next to the stairs of the shrine. Be sure to go to the top of the stairs to get a great view of the ocean, the city, and Mt. Fuji if the weather permits. 

Looking towards the shrine from the main drag.

On these stairs Sanemoto was killed. The new sacred tree is the plant to the left of the stairs.

Nikkô Tôshôgû

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Nikkô Tôshôgû is a shrine in the town of Nikkô in the mountains to the north of Tokyo. It was founded in 1617 to house the remains of the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate and the Edo Period, Tokugawa Ieyasu. The shrine was built entirely in a year and a half and was designed to be the most lavish and colorful shrine in Japan. The affluent success of Nikkô Tôshôgû inspired a new generation of architecture across the nation. The shrine is dedicated to the peace of the Edo period and was decorated as such with motifs all around the complex of animals frolicking and enjoying life in the glow of peace. There are several parts to the complex including a hall to the Tokugawa Shoguns, the Hall of the Roaring Dragon, and the hall to Tokugawa Ieyasu up the hill behind the main hall. 

For the casual: 11. For the educated: 11.

If you don't go to this shrine, you're missing out on some seriously fun stuff. This is a shrine where the buildings and surrounding forest compliment each other. Be it sun, rain, or snow, Nikko Tôshôgû is one of the most incredible places to go to year round. Words cannot properly describe the love that I have of this complex and its significance in history.  The shrine is meant to represent the peace that was created by the Tokugawa Shogunate; a peace which did last for two and a half centuries. Though the shogunate couldn’t have know the peace under their rule would last for so long, they chose this shrine to portray a visual cornucopia of what was possible under their rule. Carvings, paintings, and structural forms told this story on a new scale that had never been seen before. The animals portrayed are sometimes fantastical like early interpretations of elephants, dragons, or lion-dogs (komainu), while local animals like birds, deer, and others are bursting with life now that peace is the reigning force in Japan. For example, there is a well known carving over the walkway entrance up the hill to the resting place of Tokugawa Ieyasu (founder of the Edo Period). This carving depicts a small cat napping while being surrounded by countless birds taking flight. This carving illustrates that in this time of peace, even a cat feels content enough to rest while birds soar nearby.

The complex is fundamentally built with three primary colors: white, black/slate, and gold. Gold is the main focus in that color wheel for obvious reasons, and it doesn’t disappoint. The gold leaf glitters in almost any quantity of light and it becomes increasingly revealing just how much is used when the light is most intense. A labrynth of support brackets that elevate the roofs, are adorned in black lacquer, and decorative veins of gold leaf disappear or shine bright depending on the exposure. This gold detailing is made all the more stunning because it is mostly used as a highlight on the darker aspects of each building, not only the lacquer supports as previously mentioned, but also the slate black roofs which are capped and adorned with gold facets baring the crest of the Tokugawa family. What light isn’t reflected with gold is still used and redirected because of the white base paint on each structure. As mentioned before, the shrine is adorned with carvings of flowers, luscious foliage, and frolicking animals all of which are painted with the brightest pigments available. Each of these colors seem to become even more brilliant because the structure’s base color is a milk white which manages to control the mass of flashy adornments while equally allowing them to shine. In many ways, the nation under the Tokugawa government was very much like this building, the various regions and lords being the shrine embellishments while the shogunate is a subtle yet pervasive white base keeping everything in check, but a flashy gold stamp of their family crest is always there to reaffirm who is in power.

The town of Nikkô is also fantastic with great little shops to help with whatever additional souvenirs you may want.  Need a place to stay? Check out the inns in the area, even those a bit farther away (if you have a car), because many have hot springs where visitors can relax. If you don’t have a car, locals trains or buses can take you to and from the closest shinkansen station about 30 min. away or a limited express train can take you from Tobu-Nikko Station to Asakusa Station in about 90 minutes.

Looking towards the main shrine beyond the Yomeimon (the thing covered in white) which was under construction while I was there.

The main shrine.

Nikkô's God Bridge which was the original bridge which crossed the river.