Muku Jinja, Shinto shrine in Japan

Muku Jinja is a single-story wooden shrine on a low stone base reached by three shallow steps. Four dark pillars divide its facade; between the central pair hang a twisted rope with five white paper streamers and a bell with a hanging rope, in front of dark lattice doors. Red-painted beams with carved ornaments flank the entrance, and the gray tile roof has a large gabled section projecting over a smaller curved gable. Two stone animal statues sit at the front corners.

Originally known as Mukuno Jinja, the shrine was established centuries ago as a place where locals worshipped deities for health and safety. It was later recognized as a Ken-sha and remains an officially listed part of Japan's local shrine system.

The shrine is dedicated to Sarutahiko Okami, a deity associated with guidance and protection. Visitors participate in simple rituals like ringing a bell and bowing that have remained part of local customs for generations.

Take the Seibu Kanko bus for Yoshida Genki-mura (Chichibu-Yoshida line) from Chichibu Station on the Chichibu Railway or Seibu-Chichibu Station, get off at Ryusei Kaikan, then walk 10 minutes. Buses are few, so check times before setting out. The shrine stands at 7377 Shimoyoshida, Chichibu.

The shrine's name was originally read Ikura Jinja, after the well (i) and the muku tree (kura) of the foundation legend; only in the early modern period did outsiders begin reading it Muku. In 1884 the Chichibu Incident rebels held a rally here, and the 2004 film Kusa no Ran was shot on site for the uprising's 120th anniversary.