Takanawa Jinja (高輪神社)

Takanawa Jinja

Takanawa Jinja (高輪神社) is a Shinto shrine located along National Route 15 in the Takanawa area of Minato-ku, Tokyo. Although it now stands in a busy urban setting, the shrine was originally founded near the ocean.

The shrine is believed to have been established during the Meio era (1492–1501). It enshrines the kami (deities) Ukanomitama-no-Kami (宇迦御魂神), Homudawake-no-mikoto (誉田別命), and Sarutahiko-no-kami (猿田彦神).

Taishi-do

Miya-mikoshi

Next to the main shrine building stands Taishi-do (太子堂), which enshrines Prince Shotoku (聖徳太子). Inside Taishi-do are two mikoshi (portable Shinto shrines). One is the miya-mikoshi, made in 1916, which is carried through the neighborhood during Takanawa Jinja's festivals.

Taishi-do

The second mikoshi, Taishi-do, dates back to 1875. Unlike the miya-mikoshi, it was not intended to be carried. It was originally made to serve as a naijin (内陣) — the sacred inner sanctum — before a shrine building was constructed.

Several stone features within the shrine grounds, including the komainu (guardian lion-dog), chikara-ishi (stone-lifting stones), and the carvings on the stone gate, date back to the Edo period (1603–1868), offering a glimpse into the shrine's long history.