Culture Tokyo weather shrine sees surge in visitors amid climate crisis

[thomas]

Kisho-jinja, a weather shrine located in Kōenji, Tokyo, has become a haven for those seeking relief from the intensifying extreme weather events driven by climate change. As the sole shrine in Japan devoted to the weather, it has witnessed a significant increase in visitors seeking divine intervention against the scorching summers and devastating super-typhoons that have become increasingly prevalent. Many visitors express concern about the changing climate, noting that Japan's traditional four seasons have been reduced to midsummer and midwinter. The shrine, featured in the famous 2019 anime "Weathering With You," is a popular destination for young people and offers a digital display of daily weather forecasts. Located in the bohemian district of Koenji, the Kisho Jinja provides a spiritual sanctuary for those seeking solace amidst the challenges posed by climate change.

Photo credit: Koenji-Hikawa.com​

Kisho Jinja weather shrine stands on the grounds of Kōenji Hikawa Shrine (高円寺氷川神社). The sanctuaries are dedicated to several gods in the large pantheon of Shinto, a native Japanese faith that was the state religion until the end of the Second World War. During the war, the Imperial Japanese Army formed a research group to study how weather forecasting could benefit military strategy. [...] One of the enshrined deities, Yagokoro Omoikaneno Mikoto, is said to control eight meteorological phenomena, including sunny skies, rain and thunder. Many visitors to the god's shrine write their wishes for fair weather during holidays, weddings and other important events on wooden votive tablets called ema. [...] Parishioner Yamada says: "I'm concerned that the remarkable abnormal weather and unstable climate in recent years are causing great losses to agriculture. With extreme heat and flooding due to heavy rain, we cannot harvest our precious vegetables and fruits. If this situation continues, I worry there will be food shortages."

Visits to Japan’s only Shinto weather shrine surge as climate crisis bites

At the Kisho Jinja weather shrine in Tokyo, worshippers come to pray for respite from extreme weather events fuelled by global heating

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Koenji Hikawa Shrine

Koenji Hikawa Shrine is located in Koenji, Tokyo.

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