Ikebukuro-mitake-jinja, Shinto shrine in Ikebukuro, Toshima, Tokyo, Japan
Ikebukuro-mitake-jinja is a Shinto shrine in the Ikebukuro district of western Tokyo, a short walk from the west exit of Ikebukuro Station. It consists of a wooden main hall, stone lanterns along the paths, and small carved owl statues placed near the entrance.
The shrine's founding date is unknown; tradition holds it was established during the Tensho era (1573–1592), and its sanctuary building was first erected in 1687 (Jokyo 4). In 1938 it was elevated to village shrine status and renamed from Mitake-jinja to Ontake-jinja. It serves as the tutelary shrine for the area around Ikebukuro Station's west exit.
The shrine's name links Ikebukuro to owls: "fukuro", the Japanese word for owl, echoes the "bukuro" in Ikebukuro, so the bird is read as fukuro (福籠, a cage of fortune) and fukuro (不苦労, freedom from hardship). Owl charms are sold at the shrine for this reason. The subordinate Inari shrine, Kosodate Inari, honours the food deity Ukanomitama.
The shrine can be reached on foot from the west exit of Ikebukuro Station in just a few minutes and is open throughout the year at no cost. A hand-washing basin is available just inside the entrance for visitors who wish to follow the traditional purification step before approaching the main hall.
The shrine's name links Ikebukuro's "fukuro" (bag) with "fukurō" (owl), so it grants owl charms as "fukuro" that call in fortune and "fukarō" that removes hardship. The owls are amulets sold at the shrine, not statues added in 2002.
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