Suehiro Jinja (末廣神社)
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| Suehiro Jinja |
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| Temizu-ya (water pavilion) |
The shrine's founding date is unclear. Old records indicates the shrine already existed in 1596. In 1615, under the orders of Tokugawa Ieyasu, Yamamotoin Jikko was summoned from Suruga Province to serve at the shrine. In 1617, Shoji Jin'emon and others, with the permission of the Edo shogunate, developed the surrounding area, which was previously uncultivated marshland. This development gave rise to Edo's first licensed pleasure quarter, Yoshiwara. As the town grew vibrant, people began worshiping the shrine as the tutelary deity of the area.
In 1656, the Edo shogunate ordered the relocation of Yoshiwara as part of Edo's city expansion. The following year, the Great Fire of Meireki destroyed the area. Subsequently, the pleasure quarter was relocated to what is now Asakusa and renamed Shin-Yoshiwara.
Even after Yoshiwara's relocation, the shrine continued to be revered by the four towns, Naniwacho, Sumiyoshicho, Takasagocho, and Shin-Izumicho, that replaced the area.
The shrine was also deeply respected by the many shogunate officials residing nearby, who donated various offerings, including komainu statues, tamagaki, ceremonial curtains, and furnishings.
The current shrine building was reconstructed in 1947.
