Raiden Shrine

Raiden shrines (shrines of thunder and lightning) are places that enshrine deities who offer protection against thunder and rain and ensure a bountiful harvest. They are popular in the North Kanto region, which has always been prone to many thunderstorms. You will find many situated in the basin of the Tone River in Gunma and Tochigi Prefectures, and the head temple of the sect, said to have been founded by Prince Shotoku, is Itakura Raiden Shrine in Itakura, Gunma.

Raiden Shrine in Kiryu was built at the start of the Edo period in 1677, at a height of 210m on top of Mount Raiden (now known as Suidoyama). The enshrined deity is Hono-ikazuchi (a God of thunder born from the chest of the divine Izanami). For a long time he was the guardian diety of Mr. Kiryu, and the guardian diety to the Tsunemi for successive generations. However, upon entering the Meiji Era, he was devoted to his current location because of the Tsunemi Family and became the god of the town. In 1984, the main shrine building and the large torii gate were restored followed in 2012 by the Zuihoden—The Kagura Hall where dance and music are offered to deities—giving you the shrine you see today.

It is situated close to JR Kiryu Station, and if you walk along the prefectural road, you will see the big red torii gate. As well as being known for offering protection from disaster and thunder, recently, in line with the rise in popularity of collecting goshuin (seals) from temples, Kiryu’s Raiden Shrine is known for offering an eye-catching, unique seal. This seal, representing the valiant god of thunder, is a simplistic design featuring brush painted Japanese characters and the temple’s stamp. The stamp comes in two colors. Choose your favorite from bright red and gold. You will also receive a brightly-colored sticker of the gentle-looking thunder god. You can get your stamp from the office on the left side of the shrine grounds, so go there after visiting the main shrine.

The main attraction of the seal is that it is a once in a life time experience. Even another seal from the same shrine may be written differently by a different person. Even when written by the same person, no two seals are the same. Your seal—the only one in existence—is a priceless souvenir containing the endless power of the god of lightning.