Yoyogi Hachiman Shrine sits on a small wooded hill next to Yamate-dori, one of Tokyo's famed ring roads, just a short walk from Yoyogi Park and an even shorter walk from the shrine's namesake train station on the Odakyu Line. The shrine was founded in 1212, dedicated to Hachiman, a deification of the Emperor Ojin … Continue reading Yoyogi Hachiman Shrine: sacred hilltop with prehistoric roots
There are more than 40,000 shrines across Japan that are specifically dedicated to Hachiman, the guardian god of warriors. Usa Jingu in northern Oita Prefecture is widely regarded as the oldest such shrine, with all the rest mere satellites of this parent. Hachiman is a posthumous deification of the 15th Japanese emperor, Ojin (201-312). There … Continue reading Usa Jingu: the original Hachiman shrine
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