07‏/07‏/2016

Kitazawa Hachiman Shrine in Tokyo

Enjoy detail and craftsmanship in Shimo-kitazawa

By Peter Sidell

Community writer

Airborne guardians

The main gate from the street

A wooden lantern by the steps up to the halls

One of the little side shrines

Detailed carvings on a side shrine

A komainu guardian lion

Another little side shrine

Decoration on the main hall

Another of the many miniature side shrines

And a komainu guardian wolf

More intricate detail

The carvings are painstakingly elaborate

Next to Shingan-ji temple a few minutes' walk from the station in Tokyo's trendy Shimokitazawa district, Kitazawa Hachiman is a pleasant hillside shinto shrine. The main hall is attractively decorated, but the main point for me was the numerous miniature side shrines; even though they are small, they are adorned with carvings as intricately detailed as on full-sized buildings, trees and birds, flowers, lions and dragons. There's also a side hall with a beautiful painted screen on display (behind a window which makes it impossible to photograph).

هل كانت هذه المقالة مفيدة؟

Help us improve the site

Give Feedback

Peter Sidell

By Peter Sidell

Community writer

جارٍ المتابعة تابع

Thank you for your support!

Your feedback has been sent.