Tokyo Daijingu Shrine

Tokyo Daijingu is built as Youhaiden of Ise Jingu in 1880, Meiji 13th of the Japanese calendar. Youhaiden has made for people who could not travel a long distance to be able to visit and pray. Behind this background visiting Ise Jingu became very popular in Edo period and people often said that “want to visit once in a lifetime.” Official name for Ise Jingu is “Jingu.”

At first, Tokyo Daijingu was built in Hibiya and called “Hibiya Daijingu.” After the Great Kanto Earthquake, it was relocated to the present place, Iidabashi, in1928, Showa 3rd. It was renamed to “Iidabashi Daijingu.” After the Warld War II, it changed its name to “Tokyo Daijingu.”
Tokyo Daijigu is comparably a new shrine, but it has become a famous spiritual place in Tokyo and also been known as a shrine for a good marriage.

Since it enshrines Amaterasu-Sume-Ohkami and Toyouke-no-Ohkami as same as Ise Jingu, and Three deities who are in charge of the creation and growth of all things, it has great charm in good relations and a good marriage.
Also, Tokyo Daijingu is the first shrine to hold Shinto wedding ceremony. You may see a bride dress in pure white kimono and the happy atmosphere raise the popularity of it as a shrine for a good marriage.

The visitors are significantly populated by women. You have to rinse your hands and mouth before you pray.

After praying the deities you may buy omamori (lucky charm) or try omikuji (fortune telling). There are popular omamori and omikuji. One is a lily of the valley omamori that brings you a good marriage. Flower language of the lily of the valley is the return of happiness. Another is koimikuji, love fortune telling, with a pretty Japanese paper doll.

source https://www.stroll-tips.com/en/tokyo-daijingu/ Sep 2016　Text: Ryoko Kuraishi　Photo: Yasuo Yamaguchi