Zeniarai Benzaiten

November 04, 2015 by Brennan Duff in Shrine

Zeniarai Benzaiten is a shrine in the hills above Kamakura where visitors can wash money for good luck. Zeniarai literally means "coin washing" and it is believed that the value of whatever you wash will be doubled. The shrine was founded by Minamoto no Yoritomo after he had a dream that Benzaiten, one of the Seven Gods of Fortune, appeared in his dreams and ordered him to construct the shrine. The shrine was opened on the day of the snake, in the month of the snake, in the year of the snake, and Benzaiten is associated with snakes.

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

This shrine is a little hard to get to because it's off of the main roads in town and the hill it's up is fairly steep, but once there, there are numerous small shrines to various deities. Even after the shrine is closed, there are still little bamboo-weave bowls for you to wash your money in. To wash your money, visitors enter the shrine cave where a wash bed is set up for money washing. If you happened to wash paper bills, there are drying stations where you place your money on top and the heat dries the money. Make sure you carry the money with you so that the good luck effects are put to use. To complete the cycle of good luck, the idea is to spend that special money on something important to you. I spent my money on a beautiful hand carved wooden bowl.

Waiting at the drying station for money to dry.

My friend Tulga improvising a purification thing because apparently washing the money in holy water wasn't enough.

Goryô Jinja

November 03, 2015 by Brennan Duff in Shrine

Located near Hase-dera and Jojuin in Kamakura, Goryô Jinja is a small shrine dedicated to a prominent warrior in the late Heian period and early Kamakura period. The warrior's name was Gongoro Kagemasa and was known to the people of Kamakura as Gongoro-sama.

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

Since Goryô Jinja is in between Gokurakuji and Hase-dera, it's a great little shrine to stop by and check out. Decorated with arrow motifs, the shrine is clearly in honor of a warrior. Getting there is easy except for the occasional timing with the local trains that cross the path to the shrine only feet before the first tori gate. Though it's small and off the beaten path, I really enjoyed the environment of this shrine. It was incredibly peaceful and liberating to be in the shade of beautiful trees. As the seasons change there are flower gardens at the shrine which bring this small shrine into a hidden gem. The train as well was something fun to play with since crossing the tracks felt like crossing into a different realm, making the shrine feel just a little bit more unique. Be careful though, there are bells to signal that a train is approaching, but there are no barriers to stop you. So please play close attention to your surroundings when crossing.

Yushima Tenmangû

November 03, 2015 by Brennan Duff in Shrine

Originally built in the 5th century, Yushima Tenmangû was first enshrined with the spirits of strength and sports. But in 1355, it was expanded to enshrine Tenjin, the god of wisdom. With its close proximity to the prestigious Tokyo University, Yushima Tenmangû is now mostly a shrine of academic success for students praying for good finals and entrance examinations.

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

Yushima Tenmangû is a beautiful shrine which was renovated in recent years. As much as it's known for its academic affiliation, Yushima Tenmangû is also known for a statue of a cow which brings good luck when rubbed, and also for its abundance of plum trees which blossom in late winter and early spring. I didn't find this shrine all that thrilling myself, probably because it reminded me of all the homework that I needed to do, but it is very beautiful and stands on a hilltop above a massive collection of curry restaurants.

Nezu Jinja

November 03, 2015 by Brennan Duff in Shrine

Nezu Jinja is a fairly unassuming shrine (compared to some others) in the township of Nezu near the greater city of Ueno. As a shrine which is ornate but not pompous, Nezu Jinja is a beautiful shrine nestled in a wooded park with its design based on the famous Nikko Tôshôgû. It was moved to its current location in the mid 17th century by the fifth shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi when he announced that Tokugawa Ienobu would be his successor. Yet for its subdued nature, Nezu Jinja is a major cultural shrine to Japan. Originally built almost two thousand years ago in Sendagi just north of Nezu, it was founded by the legendary Prince Ôsu, also known as Yamato Takeru no Mikato, son of the 12th Emperor of Japan. The story of Yamato Takeru is Japan's version of the Arthurian legend, so although the real origin of the shrine may not be known, the fact that it is associated with such a major figure in Japanese legend suggests that the shrine is a very important one all the same.

For the casual: 8. For the educated: 10.

Nezu Jinja is a major historical shrine but it is matched with its beauty. Modeled after Nikko Tôshôgû, it is made of painted wood, gold, and various other ornamentation. Apart from the main shrine, there is also Komagome Inari Jinja which is dedicated to the crafty foxes who protect crops from rats and other pests. This shine has tunnels made of small tori gates which line the path. Below a large koi pond with a little water fall follows the main path.