Hie Jinja 日枝神社
Nagatacho, Chiyoda, Tokyo · Open in Google Maps
Hie Jinja (also called Sannō-san) was the guardian shrine of Edo Castle and of the Tokugawa shoguns. It stands on a hill in Nagatacho, the heart of Japanese politics, with Ōyamakui, the god of Mt. Hiei, as its main deity.
What to look for
- Its messengers are monkeys: instead of guardian lions or foxes, you'll find a pair of monkey statues in front of the main hall, one of them holding a baby.
- A stairway lined with closely packed red torii gates leads up one side of the hill, a quieter alternative to Fushimi Inari's famous tunnels.
- The Sannō Matsuri is one of the three great festivals of Edo.
Enshrined kami
- Ōyamakui 大山咋神
- Kuninotokotachi 国常立神
- Izanami 伊弉冉神
- Emperor Chūai 足仲彦尊
What people pray for here
Warding off misfortune, business success, and (because of the mother monkey) safe childbirth and children's health.
Etiquette
It is surrounded by offices, so weekday mornings are calm. Please be quiet near the monkeys: people pray in front of them.
New to shrines? Read our short guide to shrine etiquette: purifying your hands, bowing and clapping, offerings, omamori and goshuin.