All Reviews of Otori Shrine

Otori Shrine is located in Zoshigaya, Tokyo, and has deep historical ties to Kishimojin Temple. Its main deity is Yamato Takeru, with Ukanomitama also enshrined here, and it is also the place where Ebisu, one of the Zoshigaya Seven Lucky Gods, is worshipped. The deity here was originally enshrined under the name “Sagi Myojin” within the grounds of Kishimojin Temple. It was moved during the Meiji period due to the order separating Shinto and Buddhism, gradually taking shape as the present-day Otori Shrine.
I stopped by Otori Shrine this time because of the Zoshigaya Handmade Market, but after actually walking inside, I unexpectedly came away with a good impression of the shrine itself. The handmade market happened to extend onto the shrine grounds during my visit, making it much livelier than usual, but there were still far fewer people than at Kishimojin Temple. Although the market extended onto the shrine grounds, there were fewer stalls here, and the works were more focused on floral art and handicrafts. I especially liked a Christmas wreath made with stained glass. It was delicate and had a very distinctive style.
The biggest surprise this time was unexpectedly seeing a chinowa ring being set up for the year-end purification ceremony. I knew there would be a chinowa ring in the summer, but I didn’t expect one at the end of the year. I paused for a moment when I saw the large ring woven from miscanthus reeds, then immediately took out my phone to double-check the correct way to walk through the “chinowa-kuguri.” After all, I had only done it before at Kitano Tenmangu Shrine in Kyoto, and enough time had passed that I had almost completely forgotten. Since it was such a rare opportunity, of course I quickly followed the instructions online and walked through it to cleanse myself of impurities.

This shrine has been around since the Edo period! They sell special lucky charms on the grounds—pretty unique!