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Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine

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Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine

Improving Your Luck to Find that Special Someone?! A Great Power Spot for Matchmaking.

3.57 13

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Supervised by :  Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine

Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine is a historic shrine that is said to have been built around 1500 years ago. The main shrine features elaborate engravings, and it has been designated as a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property.

The 5 kami (Shinto gods) enshrined here form a family, and as such they are worshipped as kami related to family harmony, marital happiness, and marriage. Recently, the shrine has become known as a “power spot” for marriage, and many people visit to worship in hopes of obtaining luck in finding a marriage partner. Relationships are not only about romance, but they include work, friends, and family too, so the shrine offers a wide variety of relationship charms – be sure to find one that suits your wishes!

Be sure to also stop by the Ema Tunnel, a famous feature of the shrine. Ema are wooden tablets offered to the shrine in order to make requests of the kami or to thank them for a wish that has come true. Visitors can walk through the mysterious atmosphere of the tunnel, which is decorated with around 30,000 ema. Of course, you can have your own ema hung as well, so why not take the chance to make a request of your own to the kami?

Highlights

  • The Ema Tunnel is one of the highlights of the shrine. Be sure to walk through!
  • During the summer, the shrine hosts the Shinto ritual “Enmusubi Windchimes,” where over 2,000 wind chimes are on display.
  • The shrine’s 2 types of red snapper omikuji (fortune slips), “ichinen antai mikuji” and “ai tai mikuji,” are popular. Fishing up the omikuji using a fishing rod is a unique experience!
  • If you go to worship early in the morning, you may be able to get one of the 20 limited-quantity “enmusubi-dama” given out each day.

Photos

  • Many worshippers visit in hopes of finding that special someone

    Many worshippers visit in hopes of finding that special someone

  • One of the highlights of the shrine is the Ema Tunnel

    One of the highlights of the shrine is the Ema Tunnel

  • The Shinto ritual “Enmusubi Wind Chimes” is held during the summer

    The Shinto ritual “Enmusubi Wind Chimes” is held during the summer

  • The unique “ichinen antai mikuji” are caught with a fishing rod

    The unique “ichinen antai mikuji” are caught with a fishing rod

  • The “ai tai mikuji” tell your fortune related to finding love

    The “ai tai mikuji” tell your fortune related to finding love

  • Lantern

    Lantern

Reviews

13

Some reviews are AI-translated.

  • Gina C
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    The shrine is best known for its tradition of praying for good matches. The grounds have many decorations full of Japanese charm, along with cute amulets and all kinds of omikuji fortune slips. Each one is so beautifully made that you can’t help wanting to take one home as a souvenir! 💕 I’ve heard that this shrine is especially popular with visitors seeking luck in love. Whether you hope to meet the right person or want your relationship to go more smoothly, you can come and pray with a sincere heart.

    Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine also has popular sea bream fortune slips that you can fish for with a small fishing rod. They’re cute and fun, and very different from ordinary omikuji that you draw directly. They make the shrine visit more interactive and are also great for commemorative photos!

    If you visit in the summer, you may also get to see the shrine’s famous wind chime event. Colorful Edo wind chimes sway in the breeze with clear, delicate ringing sounds. The scene is very dreamlike and is one of the reasons so many people come to visit.

  • 一個漸漸喜歡上慢旅的人
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    From the station, you can take a bus, but I prefer walking to Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine. Along the way, you can not only see the distinctive streets that retain the atmosphere of the Edo period, but also get a sense of everyday life in the neighborhood. Turn down a side street with fewer tourists, and around the corner, a huge torii gate comes into view, immediately creating a solemn atmosphere.

    Once you pass through the torii gate, the noise outside seems to disappear. The shrine is best known for its cute, colorful sea bream omikuji, which you fish for yourself to find your own fortune. Known as a place for matchmaking and spiritual energy, the shrine is filled with towering old trees, and simply spending time there feels incredibly comfortable and peaceful. If you want a change of pace without going too far from Tokyo, I highly recommend this restorative trip to recharge.

  • Linda Liao
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    Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine is a well-known place in Kawagoe to pray for good relationships. The grounds are peaceful, and as soon as you enter, you can feel the atmosphere of a traditional Japanese shrine. During this visit, I also tried the cute “carp amulet,” where you fish out a little carp yourself. It was fun and also great for taking commemorative photos.

    While I was visiting the shrine, a newlywed couple happened to arrive by rickshaw for their wedding ceremony. During cherry blossom season, seeing them complete such an important life ceremony at the shrine in traditional wedding attire was romantic and full of happiness. There is also a café on the grounds where you can sit down, have a drink, and take a short break. The overall atmosphere was very comfortable.

  • BobbyJenny
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    Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine is famous for prayers for good relationships. The grounds are filled with colorful wish wind chimes and ema plaques, creating a romantic atmosphere.

    The shrine is peaceful and elegant, and it also has the famous sea bream omikuji fortunes. It’s a much-loved place to visit and pray in Kawagoe.

  • 橘子
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    Hikawa Shrine has an ema tunnel, which is a passageway made from wish plaques. Walking through it feels like your wishes will come true.

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Details

Name in Japanese
川越氷川神社
Postal Code
350-0052
Address
2-11-3 Miyashitamachi, Kawagoe City, Saitama
Telephone
049-224-0589 (Shrine office)
Admission
Free
Closed
No holidays
Hours
8:00am-6:00pm
Access
About 7-10 minutes by bus from the Seibu Shinjuku Line’s Hon-Kawagoe Station or the JR Tobu-Tojo Line’s Kawagoe Station
Official Website
Official Website (Japanese)
Hokkaido Tohoku Kanto Chubu Hokuriku Kansai Chugoku Shikoku Kyushu Okinawa