Shinagawa Shrine

Shinagawa Shrine was founded in 1187 as a place for marine traffic safety and prayer realizations. During the shrine’s annual festival, which takes place in early June every year, portable shrines called “mikoshi” are carried around town, and many people come to celebrate.

The “Tokai Shichifukujin” is a pilgrimage course that takes you around temples and shrines that are dedicated to the Shichifukujin, or Seven Lucky Gods. As one of them Shinagawa Shrine is dedicated to Daikokuten, the god of wealth, and during New Year’s the shrine is crowded with visitors walking the path of Tokai Shichifukujin. (The Shichifukujin tour using colored paper is held only during the New Year period, from January 1 to Coming of Age Day, from 9am to 5pm)

The stone torii gate at the entrance is decorated with dragons flanking it on either side, and it is called the “Soryu Torii,” one of only 3 similar toriis in Tokyo.
Shinagawa Shrine also features a “Fujizuka,” which is a hill modeled after Japan’s highest peak Mt. Fuji, and climbing it is said to be equivalent in good fortune to climbing Mt. Fuji.