Tokyo’s Oldest Inari Shrine with The History of 1,000 Years – “Shitaya Shrine”

“Shitaya Shrine” is impressive the large red-torii gate on Asakusa street. It burned down once in its history over 1,000 years but was rebuilt later, and now many people are visiting to worship even on weekdays. Actually, It seems that this shrine is the oldest Inari shrine in Tokyo. Stopping by from Ueno Station is easy, so how about visiting while taking a walk?

“Shitaya Shrine” was built in 730 of the Nara Period (710-794). It is dedicated to the god, Otoshi no Kami (大年神) who has benefits for good business and home safety, and the mythical prince, Yamato Takeru no Mikoto(日本武尊) who has wisdom, ingenuity and courage. Its main building burned down due to the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923 but was rebuilt in 1934. It escaped damage during World War II and has survived to the present day.

It was called ‘Shoichii SHitaya Inari Sha'(正一位下谷稲荷社) back in the day. That is the reason why the whole area is called ‘Inari-cho’. This shrine has a long history and is known as the Inari shrine which was built for the first time in Tokyo. Inari shrine is a god of ‘rice’ as the name suggests, so it’s one of the shrines which has been loved by people from ancient times, who wish for a good harvest in Japan. There are also events related to the Inari shrine for praying for huge harvests, including Kinen Sai (祈年祭). Among them, it’s said that the ‘Shitaya Shrine Grand Festival’ held in May every year is the most important festival. Many food stands are lined up and crowded with a lot of people. In addition to the festival, it has other highlights such as a ceiling, with a painting drawn by Taikan Yokoyama, in the worship hall and a stone monument of the ‘Birthplace of yose’. It’s one of the recommended spots in the Ueno, Asakusa area.