Kasai Shrine, Shinto shrine in Japan

Kasai Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Higashi-Kanamachi with centuries-old wooden structures surrounded by ancient ginkgo trees and sacred stone statues. The grounds contain a quiet space with traditional buildings and various historical monuments that visitors can explore during their visit.

The shrine was founded in the late Heian period and served for centuries as the guardian shrine for multiple villages in the surrounding area. The famous shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu visited during the Edo period, which underscored its historical importance as a key gathering place for the local community.

Kasai Shrine takes its name from the historical Kasai clan that once governed the region. The shrine remains a gathering place where locals perform traditional festival music called Kasai Bayashi, a practice passed down through generations that still sounds during celebrations today.

The shrine is about a 10-minute walk from Kanamachi Station on the JR Joban Line and the Keisei Kanamachi Line. The open-air antique market is held on the first Saturday of each month from 8 a.m. until evening. Kasai Bayashi practice takes place in the grounds on a Sunday in the middle of each month.

The shrine's name for its festival music, Kasai Bayashi, was only coined after World War II, when local volunteers formed a preservation society; before that it was simply called ohayashi. The society was founded in 1951 and the music was designated a Tokyo intangible cultural asset in 1953. The NHK singing-contest bell used at the November Tori-no-ichi is also kept here.