Mita Kasuga-jinja, Shinto shrine in Japan
Mita Kasuga-jinja is a small Shinto shrine in Minato-ku, a busy Tokyo district, featuring simple wooden structures and a traditional torii gate at its entrance. The grounds include small subsidiary shrines, including one dedicated to Inari the rice spirit, and guardian lion-dog statues that have stood watch for over 300 years.
The shrine originated in 709 and became a major worship center under the Watanabe clan when moved to Mita in 1011. After destruction by fires in the 17th century and again during World War II bombing raids, it was rebuilt each time and completed in its current form in 1954.
The shrine honors Ame-no-Koyane, a spirit that local people call upon for protection and harmony. Visitors can observe traditional rituals like ringing a bell, clapping hands, and leaving offerings, practices that continue as part of daily life at this place of worship.
The shrine is easily accessible by public transportation, about a five-minute walk from Sengakuji Station. Visitors should know the grounds are compact but open year-round, with a particularly busy festival in August.
The guardian lion statues at the shrine entrance are among the oldest in the area and have stood watch for over 300 years. These historical protective figures are a rare example of well-preserved koma-inu sculptures from that era.
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