Nezu Shrine – Tokyo’s Storm God Sanctuary and Edo-Era Legacy | MK Deep Dive

In Nezu, one of the few pockets of Tokyo where the old city still lingers, a hidden sanctuary waits among rows of red torii gates and filtered shadows. Here, six-armed stone Buddhas rest alongside shaded walkways. Red-bibbed foxes glare with knowing eyes. A swastika-etched purification basin offers cool water, while omikuji fortunes hang like folded laundry—an anonymous record of hope, fear, and renewal.

The legend begins over 1,900 years ago with Prince Yamato Takeru, the son of Japan's 12th emperor. Known for his fierce temper, he was sent east to quell rebellious tribes. During his mythic journey, he disguised himself as a maiden to assassinate the Kumaso brothers at a banquet, escaped a fiery trap with the help of a divine sword, and, according to lore, consecrated this very shrine.

Initially established in nearby Sendagi, Nezu Shrine is dedicated to Susanoo-no-Mikoto, the storm god, brother of the sun goddess Amaterasu, and patron of the sea, chaos, and transformation. The shrine’s importance increased during the syncretic period when Buddhism and Shinto coexisted peacefully. In 1705, the fifth Tokugawa shogun, Tsunayoshi, moved the shrine to its current location. The land came from the shogunate’s estate, as a gesture tied to the adoption of his brother’s son, Tokugawa Ienobu, as heir. Ienobu, in turn, chose Nezu Shrine as his guardian shrine.

The Meiji Restoration's restructuring of Japanese religion led to the separation of Buddhist and Shinto practices, but Nezu Shrine managed to survive. It was even consulted by imperial envoys during the capital’s relocation from Kyoto to Tokyo in 1868, confirming its spiritual and political importance.

Today, Nezu Shrine stands as one of the most well-preserved shrines from the Tokugawa era in the city. Its two-story Romon Gate—the last of its kind from the Edo period in Tokyo—is a designated Important Cultural Property, featuring bright vermilion and intricate woodwork. The nearby Karamon Gate, with its Chinese-style design, shelters an ink-painted dragon on its ceiling. The main hall, built in the distinctive Gongen-zukuri style, connects to the worship hall, both commissioned during Tsunayoshi’s rule and completed in 1706. These original structures survived the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake and the firebombings of World War II, making Nezu one of Tokyo’s rare architectural survivors.

The shrine grounds stretch in silence behind the gates. A koi pond sparkles beneath a sacred arched bridge. The Senbon Torii, a corridor of cinnabar gates lining the garden path, leads to a small Inari shrine watched over by foxes—messengers of fertility, harvest, and mischief. In spring, the hillside erupts in color with over 3,000 blooming azalea bushes, creating a dramatic counterpoint to the shrine’s stillness.

A kagura mask is subtly displayed in one of the auxiliary buildings, while bronze lanterns gently whisper their stories. Beneath the surface lies something more intimate—the buried placenta of Tokugawa Ienobu, the sixth shogun, serving as a symbol of continuity. More than a ritual, this act represented permanence, connecting the Tokugawa bloodline to this sacred site and uniting body, land, and legacy. Nezu is not only among Tokyo’s top ten most essential shrines but also a repository of layered history, encompassing mythology, shogunate politics, natural beauty, and the quiet resilience of the sacred.

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Image Credits

• “Entrance to The Path of Torii in Nezu Shrine Tokyo” by Charlie fong is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

• Yoshitoshi Tsukioka (月岡芳年), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

• “Bunkyo Azalea Festival @ Nezu Shrine” by _ is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

• Guilhem Vellut from Annecy, France, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.