Wakajishi Shrine, Shinto shrine in Japan

Wakajishi Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Fujinomiya built on the former site of a tank training school and serves as a war memorial. The grounds feature a simple prayer hall, memorial stones, and a displayed Type 97 Chi-Ha tank as the centerpiece, all set in a small but well-kept area.

The shrine was established in the 1960s on the grounds of a former Japanese Army tank school and officially recognized in 1984. It honors young soldiers and students who died during World War Two, particularly in battles on the island of Saipan.

"Wakajishi" was the wartime nickname for the army's boy tank soldiers, and the shrine takes its name from them. Every year on 15 August it holds the Mitama Festival for the roughly 600 instructors and cadets honoured here as deities.

The shrine is small and easy to walk through, taking only a short time to see everything, though visitors often spend longer for quiet reflection. The space is especially peaceful early in the morning or late in the afternoon when fewer people are present.

The Type 97 Chi-Ha on display was found in the summer of 1976, more than 30 years after the war, and placed here in memory of the over 40 young tank soldiers killed on Saipan. Two Japanese swords and human bones were found inside; the bones were identified as those of Sergeant Tadashi Suzuki, gunner of the 9th Tank Regiment's 3rd Company, and returned to his family.