Atago Shrine Tokyo
Climb the stairs of Atago Shrine for career successConstructed on the order of renowned warlord Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, this Atago Shrine is a major Shinto shrine (Jingu) in Tokyo, alongside the Hie and Meiji Shrines. Other prominent examples of Atago Shrines include the ones in Kyoto and Fukuoka respectively. These shrines are dedicated to the Shinto fire and fire prevention god Homusubi no Mikoto.
The best-known feature at Tokyo's Atago Shrine is the steep staircase that led up the mountains. The steps are believed to be a ladder of career success because of an ancient samurai legend. Climbing the 26-metre ‘stairs’ resembles the ladder you must climb to for a successful career. Homusubi no Mikoto awaits at the peak.
1. The Atago Shrine in Minato was built in 1603 on the order of Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. The current shrine was rebuilt in 1958.
2. Enjoy a sense of tranquillity by the pond, where you will be greeted by the golden koi in the water.
3. Though the shrine is primarily dedicated to the god of fire, the gods of water, mountains and the military are also worshipped here.
4. The shrine is transformed in the evenings, as the colourful electric lights of modern Tokyo cast playful shadows among the old trees.
5. Legend says a samurai rode up the stairs to deliver plum blossoms to the shogun – only a minute up by horseback, but an exhausting 45 minutes down!
