As I have probably mentioned many times before, Tokyo is one of my absolute favorite cities. In the past, I have visited the Japanese capital on several occasions and have had the opportunity to explore many corners of this fascinating metropolis. Unfortunately, in recent years, I have not been able to visit as often as I would like. Even though, at least seen from a global perspective, I do not live that far away. But there are just too many obligations that keep me from throwing myself back into big city life.
However, every now and then I do get the opportunity to travel to Tokyo and when I am there I want to make the most of these visits. I usually plan our trips in advance and try to combine familiar places with a little unknown territory.
Both have their charm, and I love to walk along paths I already know. But fortunately, a city like Tokyo has a lot to offer, so there are still many areas I haven't been to yet. I am usually drawn to more traditional and historical places, such as temples and shrines, although they don't always have to be the famous and well-known ones. I also like to venture away from the large tourist crowds, where things can often be a little more real and authentic.
And so it happened that one day we found ourselves in Koto, a district in southeast Tokyo located between the Sumida River and Tokyo Bay, which is one of the larger wards of the Japanese capital.
During the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, several sports venues were located in Koto, and despite the many modern skyscrapers, the atmosphere in some areas is still influenced by the old Edo period, giving the district a special blend of tradition and modernity.
And it was precisely such an area that we visited on that day. After a short subway ride, we arrived in Monzen-Nakacho, an area with various temples, shrines, and old shopping streets that tries to preserve its traditional charm.
As so often before, we were first drawn to a larger shrine, which I had discovered in a local travel guide. But even though Tomioka Hachiman Shrine is one of the larger shrine complexes in the Japanese capital, it was fairly quiet there that day — at least compared to Tokyo's more famous sights. But of course, that suited us just fine.
We entered the grounds through a large red torii, the distinctive and imposing gates found at the entrance to most Japanese Shinto shrines. Further back, you can already see the main building, behind which a modern high-rise stretches into the sky. Old and new often appear side by side in Tokyo.
Established in 1627, Tomioka Hachiman Shrine (富岡八幡宮) was built when the surrounding area was reclaimed from the sea. At that time, a vast area of approximately 200,000 square meters was created for the shrine grounds, which is roughly the size of the shrine today.
Just behind the entrance area, you will find this statue depicting Inō Tadataka, one of Japan's most important geographers. He lived from 1745 to 1818 and is famous for being the first person to carry out a systematic survey of the Japanese islands.
What is remarkable is that he only began his surveying work after his retirement, at the age of over 50. For years, he traveled throughout the country, measuring distances with a pedometer and producing maps that were astonishingly accurate for their time. His work formed the basis for the first modern maps of Japan.
The monument in this photo is the Rokuken Rikishi-hi, or “Monument to the Six Sumo Wrestlers.” It honors six particularly important sumo wrestlers who are associated with the shrine. Tomioka Hachiman is closely linked to the history of sumo: the first official banzuke (rankings) were created here, and many famous wrestlers have visited the shrine to pray for strength and success.
And even though the weather was a little unpleasant on the day of our visit, the cherry blossoms that were currently blooming in the city managed to brighten up even such a gloomy day. It's amazing how many cherry trees people were planted all over Japan, and how they transform the country into a sea of blossoms for a short time in spring.
Now we stand in front of the temizuya (手水舎) – the stone basin that in Shinto shrines serves as a traditional place for cleansing the hands and sometimes also the mouth. Particularly striking here are the two gold-colored figures that serve as gargoyles – a rare and magnificent accent that indicates the importance of the shrine. Above the basin we see some shide (紙垂) – jagged strips of paper that indicate the sacredness of the place.
Stone basins are often fed by dragon-shaped statues, but in this shrine there are two golden phoenix figures. The phoenix is a symbol of rebirth, harmony and divine presence, and is often used as a guardian figure in Shinto and Buddhist contexts. And here at this shrine too, it looks quite excellent.
We already look back and it becomes clear that it wasn't very crowded here today. It had already started to rain lightly and the temperatures were significantly lower than the day before. But sometimes you just can't choose the day of your visit.
And now we approach the main building, which also has a turbulent history. It was originally built in 1627 — almost 400 years ago — and marked the beginning of the development of Tomioka Hachiman Shrine as an important religious center in Edo, the modern Tokyo.
Since its founding, the main building has been renovated and rebuilt several times, particularly after damage caused by natural disasters and war. It was last rebuilt after World War II, after being destroyed on March 10, 1945, during a bombing raid on the Japanese capital.
The current structure reflects a blend of traditional Shinto architecture and modern restoration techniques, and manages to retain its original orientation and function.
Tomioka Hachiman Shrine is considered the largest Hachiman shrine in the city and is dedicated to the god of war, Hachiman, who was also revered as the patron saint of the Minamoto clan. This connection earned the shrine special protection from the Tokugawa shogunate, and greatly increased its importance during the Edo period.
Hachiman is traditionally worshipped as the guardian god of warriors, especially samurai, and is also considered a kind of patron saint of Japan. Historically, he was identified with the legendary Emperor Ōjin, who was deified after his death. His worship originally began in Kyūshū, but quickly spread throughout the country, and today there are over 40,000 Hachiman shrines in Japan.
The bright red doors with circular emblems and hanging lanterns are typical features of Shinto architecture, which are particularly magnificent here. The circular patterns on the doors and curtains are known as mon (紋) – family or cult symbols that often indicate affiliation with certain kami or historical lines in shrines. The open door reveals a view into the dark, wooden interior, which is used for ceremonies and prayers.
Here we have a side view of the main building, which you normally only get to see from the outside. And although it was only rebuilt in the middle of the last century, it reflects a very special blend of historical form and modern restoration.
A little further away on the grounds, you will find several smaller shrines. These smaller buildings are subordinate shrines (Sessha or Massha) that are either connected to the main kami Hachiman or dedicated to other local deities.
The architecture is simple and traditional: wooden panels, gabled roofs, and small decorations, nestled in a quiet corner of the shrine grounds. The plaques above the entrances bear the names of the respective deities worshipped here — often guardian spirits for specific areas of life such as health, harvest, or craftsmanship.
The contrast between this quiet, spiritual place and the modern skyscraper in the background is particularly striking — a typical image of Tokyo, where past and present do not contradict each other but coexist. And that is why the komainu, the stone lion dog, still fits into modern 21st-century Japan and will hopefully continue to perform its function for a long time to come.
Tomioka Hachiman is particularly well known for the Fukagawa Hachiman Matsuri, a spectacular summer festival that takes place every year in August. It is famous for the so-called “Mizukake Matsuri,” where participants and spectators are doused with water—a festival of purification, energy, and community.
And with that, we conclude our little tour of this interesting shrine in Tokyo. I always enjoy exploring places like this and losing myself for a while in my favorite city, where there is still so much for me to discover.
At the end, I brought us a picture from a ukiyo-e, a Japanese woodblock print. This print is from 1853 and shows the shrine, with its torii gate and main building, as it looked at the end of the Edo period. It would be fascinating to travel back in time and visit places like this in a bygone era. But until that happens, we have our old and new pictures to help us to dream....
[//]:# (!worldmappin 35.67161 lat 139.79946 long Visiting Tomioka Hachiman Shrine 富岡八幡宮 👹🍣🎎 Wonderful Japan d3scr)
[//]:# (!pinmapple 35.67144 lat 139.79937 long d3scr)