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It has turn out to be a Japan At the moment custom this time every year to run an article describing a Seven Fortunate Gods stroll, a brief course visiting seven shrines and/or temples to gather the blessings of Japan’s seven fortunate gods. Japan has a centuries-long follow of finishing such walks early within the new yr to safe a secure, wholesome and affluent yr. In response to legend, the seven gods sail into harbor of their treasure ship on New Yr’s morning to carry luck and success.
There have been fishing villages on the banks of the Sumida River for greater than 1,000 years earlier than 1600 when Shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa (1543-1616) made the village of Edo — identified from 1864 as Tokyo — his seat, and finally the political capital of Japan. Ningyocho and Nihonbashi, nestled near the Sumida River, are among the many metropolis’s — and below Tokugawa rule, Edo rapidly grew to become a metropolis — oldest neighborhoods. These neighborhoods are the location of this stroll. It’s speculated to be accomplished in the course of the first two weeks of the yr.
Signboard at Koami Shrine reveals a fishing village on the banks of the Sumida River in previous Edo. Picture: Vicki L Beyer
Each the realm and the seven fortunate gods stroll determine within the plotline of Keigo Higashino’s homicide thriller “A Dying in Tokyo” (Japanese title: “Kirin no Tsubasa”). No spoiler alert! Learn it for your self.
Unusually, all of the stops on this stroll are shrines; there are not any temple stops. This can be a testomony to the age of the neighborhood, which is crowded with small shrines devoted to numerous elements of fortune in every day life.
The stroll is comparatively brief, simply over three kilometers, with most shrines only some hundred meters aside. Thus, it may be accomplished in simply a few hours, leaving loads of time to discover the neighborhood.
This a part of Tokyo has nearly no buildings quite a lot of many years previous (the realm was almost fully destroyed throughout American fireplace bombing in early 1945). But the normal really feel nonetheless comes by way of as guests meander slender streets that haven’t modified, in form or in measurement, for greater than 400 years. Small, independently owned eateries and outlets, many promoting conventional items, contribute to the environment.
Store promoting Edo Kiriko, an inventive lower glass produced in Tokyo for the reason that center of the nineteenth century Picture: Vicki L Beyer
Start from both Mitsukoshimae Station or Kodenmacho Station (the map under reveals each choices). Kodenmacho is nearer to the primary cease on the stroll, however from Mitsukoshimae, walkers can even cease at Fukutoku Shrine (close to exit A9) to ask for an additional increase of luck and prosperity on the stroll.
As with most Seven Fortunate Gods walks, it’s attainable to purchase a set of small pictures of the gods on their treasure ship or a white cardboard shikishi stamped with pictures of every god to commemorate the stroll. In contrast to many different walks, which require the “pilgrim” to get a stamp or purchase a token at every location, a whole set of collectible figurines or a accomplished shikishi is obtainable for buy at any of the shrines besides Chanoki Shrine, whereas provides final (the priest at one shrine suggested that they normally run out earlier than two weeks have handed — an incentive to do the stroll early).
Suginomori Shrine (Ebisu)
Suginomori Shrine was based in 940 by a member of the traditional Fujiwara clan. A little bit greater than 500 years later, one other luminary of previous Edo’s historical past, Dokan Ota (1432-1486), prayed right here for achievement in his civic improvement efforts. Dokan was the primary samurai to construct a fortification in Edo. His “fortress”, constructed with earthen ramparts, was later redeveloped with stone partitions by Ieyasu. The positioning of Dokan’s “fortress” is now often called the Imperial Palace.
Suginomori Shrine is residence to Ebisu, the god of prosperity in livelihoods equivalent to commerce, farming and fishing. Ebisu is alleged to be the son of Daikoku, one other of the seven luckies.
Suginomori Shrine has greater than a thousand years of historical past. Picture: Vicki L Beyer
Kasama Inari (Jurojin)
The map’s path to the subsequent cease, Kasama Inari, takes walkers previous a protracted stretch of playground alongside a slender avenue. The playground sits on high of an previous canal. The older a part of Edo was stuffed with canals, used for transportation and to produce water for numerous makes use of. Within the mid-nineteenth century, the earliest Western guests to town usually referred to it because the “Venice of the East”. Most of those canals have been actually pushed underground. However their places are sometimes simple to identify as a result of they’re normally topped by lengthy, skinny playgrounds or greenspace parks.
Kasama Inari is a small satellite tv for pc shrine of the nice Kasama Inari Shrine of Ibaraki Prefecture, considered one of Japan’s three best Inari shrines. Inari shrines are devoted to the god of the harvest, since an excellent harvest leads to prosperity.
This satellite tv for pc’s precise origins are unclear. It was constructed someday between 1615 and 1859 by one of many Makino feudal lords, who hailed from what’s in the present day Ibaraki. The shrine was constructed on land that was the Makino residential compound when the lord was required to be in Edo. The shrine construction was destroyed in each the Nice Kanto Earthquake of 1923 and the 1945 fireplace bombings. Whereas the present web site is probably a lot smaller than the unique, it is stuffed with fascinating issues to see, together with numerous fox pictures.
The fox is alleged to be the messenger of the Inari god. Picture: Vicki L Beyer
The fortunate god right here is Jurojin, the god of longevity.
Suehiro Shrine (Bishamonten)
Suehiro Shrine can be an Inari shrine, however is older and smaller than Kasama Inari, courting to the top of the sixteenth century.
Today Suehiro Shrine is primarily identified for its affiliation with the fortunate god Bishamonten. Bishamonten is the god of warfare who brings each victory and luck. Prior to now, he was usually petitioned to conquer epidemics and plenty of nonetheless consider sickness may be cured with prayers to Bishamonten.
Ema of Bishamonten include prayers for recovering well being. Picture: Vicki L Beyer
Matsushima Shrine (Daikoku)
Though Matsushima Shrine is now positioned on the bottom flooring of a contemporary constructing, it’s mentioned to have initially sat on a small pine-covered island (matsushima means pine island) in an inlet at this location. That was again in 1321. So much has modified since then.
The trendy shrine is residence to 14 completely different deities, together with Inari and a god that gives secure navigation. Daikoku is the fortunate god to be honored by pilgrims on this Seven Fortunate Gods stroll. Initially from India, he’s the god of wealth, farmers, and the kitchen.
Matsushima Shrine sits inside a contemporary constructing, however is historically furnished. Picture: Vicki L Beyer
Suitengu (Benten)
From the road, Suitengu’s look is misleading. It is because the fashionable construction is a parking storage at avenue stage with the shrine and its grounds on high. Suitengu is revered as a shrine to hope for conception and secure childbirth; most guests appear to be households which have introduced their infants for a blessing. Nevertheless, there’s a small purple shrine in entrance and to the left of the principle shrine that’s devoted to Benten, the goddess of fantastic arts, music and literature and the one feminine of the seven fortunate gods.
Benten shrines are normally surrounded by water however on this fashionable construction, the one water to be seen is the temizusha hand washing basin. However the shrine will not be removed from the Sumida River and little doubt there was a pond on the unique shrine grounds.
A small purple Benten shrine sits in entrance of Suitengu’s foremost shrine. Picture: Vicki L Beyer
Chanoki Shrine (Hotei)
The phrase chanoki means “tea plant” and it’s mentioned that the grounds of this shrine had been as soon as inexperienced with neatly trimmed tea vegetation. The grounds have now been given over to public housing, leaving the shrine in a tiny nook. Like among the different shrines on this stroll, this one was established by a feudal lord (one of many Hottas) on the location of his Edo residence.
Folks pray right here for catastrophe prevention in addition to enterprise productiveness. Of the seven fortunate gods, that is the place to seek out Hotei, the god of happiness and contentment.
Picture: Vicki L Beyer
Koami Shrine (Fukurokuju)
The ultimate cease on this stroll is Koami Shrine, the place pilgrims will discover Fukurokuju, whose title actually means fortune, happiness, and longevity. With such an expansive transient, maybe it’s becoming that he ought to “bat clear up” on this stroll.
Koami Shrine has a lot to advocate it and is kind of widespread, so usually crowded. It’s one other Inari shrine with associations to Dokan Ota, who is alleged to have contributed land for the shrine in 1466. Though the shrine was destroyed by fireplace after the 1923 Nice Kanto Earthquake, the top priest managed to take the shrine’s most sacred objects with him when he evacuated. The present constructing dates to 1929, making it one of many oldest surviving shrine buildings in Chuo Ward. Its conventional construction consists of some stunning intricate carvings. Today additionally it is related to washing cash to make it develop (much like Kamakura’s Zeni-ari Benten).
Koami Shrine is likely one of the oldest shrine buildings in Chuo Ward. Picture: Vicki L Beyer
After paying respects to Fukurokuju, the Seven Fortunate Gods stroll is accomplished and it stays solely to return to Mitsukoshimae subway station, just a few hundred meters away. On the way in which, die-hard historical past buffs could need to cease by a marker commemorating the Edo residence of Will Adams, also called Miura-no-Anjin. Adams was an English navigator shipwrecked in Japan in 1600 and the mannequin for John Blackthorne in James Clavell’s 1965 novel “Shogun.” Adams grew to become a form of advisor to Ieyasu Tokugawa and remained in Japan the remainder of his life. Tokugawa awarded him a title, an property on the Miura Peninsula, and a house in Edo. If that’s not luck, what’s?
Vicki L Beyer, an everyday Japan At the moment contributor, is a contract journey author who additionally blogs about experiencing Japan. Observe her weblog at jigsaw-japan.com.
Previous walks featured in Japan At the moment
2022 – The Sakura Seven: A Stroll to Acquire Good Fortune
2021 – Searching for Seven Fortunate Gods in Shitaya
2020 – The Seven Fortunate Gods of Fukagawa: Guaranteeing a Good Yr to Come
2019 – Koishikawa Seven Fortunate Gods Stroll – Exploring a Forgotten Nook of Tokyo
2018 – Searching for Out Seven Fortunate Gods in Tsurumi
2017 – The Seven Fortunate Gods of Minato: A Completely different Perspective on a Properly-Identified Tokyo District
2016 – Discovering Good Fortune on a Stroll By way of Yanaka
2015 – Shibamata’s Seven Fortunate Gods Stroll
2014 – A New Yr’s Stroll at Haneda That includes Seven Fortunate Imari
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