“Shiba Toshogu Shrine” filled with spiritual energy of the military commander of the Warring States period & the over 350-year-old sacred tree

Shiba Park, one of Japan’s oldest parks, is a popular spot where you can enjoy seasonal scenery while viewing Tokyo Tower and get energy. In addition, there are many historical spots in and out of the park, such as ‘Zojoji Temple’ which is the family temple of Ieyasu Tokugawa, the leader of Japan in the 17th century and ‘Shibamaruyama-kofun’ which is one of Tokyo’s largest burial mounds. From among them, this time, we’re going to introduce “Shiba Toshogu Shrine,” one of the four greatest shrines along with the world heritage ‘Nikko Toshogu Shrine,’ the national important cultural property ‘Ueno Toshogu Shrine’ and so on.

Located in a corner of Shiba Park, “Shiba Toshogu Shrine (芝東照宮)” was built in the precinct of Zojoji Temple in 1617. It was called ‘Ankokuden (安国殿)’ coming from Ieyasu’s Buddism name like Cristian name, but it was separated from the temple and named Shiba Toshogu Shrine by the separation of Buddhism and Shintoism around 1870.
Walking on the approach, you can find the main hall mainly using red and white. The ex-one was destroyed by fire during WWⅡ, so the current one was rebuilt in 1969. Surrounded by rich nature, the main hall with calm and sacred atmospheres makes you forget the hustle and bustle. Moreover, there is a life-size wooden sculpture of Ieyasu which was made in memory of his 80th birthday inside it. It’s opened to the public on 17th April, his death anniversary, every year.
He is famous as the military commander, who ended the turbulent Warring States period and realized the peaceful new period. However, his life was far from smooth sailing. When he was a very young child, he was unfortunately forced to be separated from his mother and had a long time as a hostage. Then, he waited for getting a chance to become the leader of Japan while serving various military commanders, and finally, his dream came true by winning a big war. Thus, it’s said that this shrine with the energy of Ieyasu who had unified Japan like that brings you good luck in competition and business.

After worshipping, let’s head to a big ginkgo tree designated as a natural monument of Tokyo. It’s also a sacred tree and has over 350 years of history. It has survived wars and disasters since 1641, and still now, shows us its powerful vitality.