Sanno Hie Shrine : Torii Experience in Tokyo
Sanno Hie Shrine : Torii Experience in Tokyo
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Me to my friend (in Japan as a tourist) : So what are your plans over the next 6 days that you are here in Japan?
Friend : I wanna do Kyoto!
Me : What in Kyoto are you planning to see?
Friend : The Torii gates (FUSHIMI INARI TORI), Kinkakuji, etc etc etc.
Me : Well I can help you do the Torii experience in Tokyo itself!…
Yes you can have this Torri experience right here in Tokyo itself. Ofcourse the one in Fushimi Inari in Kyoto has its own appeal and is a massive one, a mini experience is the Hie Shrine in Tokyo. If you are on a budget you may want to!
Before I begin. A quick trivia. the word Torii (meaning entrance), just sounds so similar to the Indian Hindi? Sanskrit? word “Torana” which means arched gateway and is usually erected at places of worship. As per Wikipedia, Torana does seem to have been the root for Torii.
Now with reagrds to Sanno Hie Jinjya, it is an important shrine in Tokyo as it maintains the status as guardian deity of Edo-castle and the current imperial residence. The shrine was originally built on the ground of Edo-Castle in 1478 and moved to the present location on top of the hill of Nagatacho in 1659.
A Daily Routine - Instagram Virality?
A Daily Routine - Instagram Virality?
So, I have worked at Akasaka Mitsuke in Tokyo in early 2000’s at a web development company by the name Progress Interactive(https://pix.co.jp), which used to do a lot of i-mode mobile development before the iPhone came in. On the new year day the company’s CEO would take us all to the Hie Shrine for the Hatsumode, the first Shinto shrine visit of the Japanese New Year. This shrine Sanno-Hie-Jinja in Tame-ike-sanno has a beautiful stairway through the small hill on which the shrine is located.
The red structured gates, like in Kyoto Fushimi Inari Torii was something in 2001 that I did not know would be a big attraction for tourists coming to Japan. I have also gone for daily afternoon walks after lunch up and down these stairs. It became an everyday ritual and I did not think it was any special until instagrammers 15 years later made it into a "must have experience". LOL!
These red strucutures are actually donations by organizations giving thanks for their prosperity and in hope of good fortune in the future, but it just has something you do not get to see in western parts which probably is the reason why it resonated. Just MAYBE.
Entrance point of the shrine. Sanno Hie Shrine
The Red Torii Gates at the Sanno Hie Shrine
The Sanno Hie Shrine, Main hall
On the steps at The Sanno Hie Shrine, Main hall
In 2001, this was missing, but now there is the newly constructed elevator on the right of the stairs
My friend was in disbelief to see this shrine right there in the middle of the metropolis with all the financial multinationals encircling it from all sides around. The Prudential building is in the background, but a very serene presence of the main temple inside the premises in the foreground.
I get very nostalgic about this place due to my early 2000 experience of this shrine. The main shrine is in Shimane prefecture apparently and I want to visit that one too some day.
How to Get to Sanno Hie Shrine
Sanno Hie Shrine is conveniently located in central Tokyo, in the Nagatacho area. The easiest way to reach the shrine is by taking the Tokyo Metro to Tameike-Sanno Station (Ginza Line or Namboku Line) or Kokkai-gijidomae Station (Marunouchi Line or Chiyoda Line). From Tameike-Sanno Station, Exit 7 is a convenient option, followed by a short walk to the shrine. You can also reach it from Akasaka Station on the Chiyoda Line. Follow the signs for Hie Shrine and look out for its distinctive red torii gates, which lead up towards the shrine grounds.
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