Sumidagawa Shrine, Shinto shrine in Japan
Sumidagawa Shrine is a small sanctuary beside the Sumida River in Tokyo featuring simple wooden structures and weathered stone statues. The grounds include additional smaller shrines and follow a distinctive L-shaped path leading to the main prayer hall.
Originally known as Suijingu, the shrine honored water-related deities for about 700 years. During the Meiji era, government orders changed the enshrined deity, shifting the shrine away from its water-focused spiritual roots.
The shrine features weathered stone turtle statues that visitors rub hoping for healing, a practice rooted in local spiritual customs. This tradition connects the place to everyday beliefs that residents still observe when they visit.
The shrine sits near Kanegafuchi and Honjo Azumabashi train stations, both within walking distance. A short walk east from either station leads visitors directly to the entrance torii gate.
A notable stone turtle statue has become so weathered over time that it now resembles a matamata turtle in shape. This unintended transformation through years of visitor contact creates one of the shrine's most distinctive features.
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