Beneath our feet lies the Toei Mita Subway Line. Hakusan Station is our gateway to a neighborhood steeped in history. This is Hakusan, a district in Tokyo’s Bunkyo Ward. Hakusan retains the charm of old Edo.
Let’s explore Hakusan Shrine. It is the area’s best known landmark. This shrine isn’t just any shrine. Hakusan Shrine is one of Tokyo’s ten most important shrines.
Legend says it was built in the 8th century. People prayed here to be spared from smallpox. Later, it became the guardian shrine for Konjiki-in Temple. Regent Fujiwara Yorimichi’s daughter founded the temple in 1102. She later became Emperor Reizei’s wife. The temple moved here in 1655.
That is when the shrine was named Hakusan. It took its name from Mount Hakusan in Ishikawa Prefecture. Mount Hakusan is one of Japan’s most sacred mountains. The goddess of Mount Hakusan protects the Koishikawa region.
During the Edo Era, the shoguns favored Hakusan Shrine. The family came here regularly to pray. Stone lanterns and cafes line the path to the shrine. The main shrine is an ornate wood building. It holds a unique charm. The hall of worship is the most impressive part. It was built in 1277. The Metropolitan Government of Tokyo recognizes it as an Important Cultural Property.
Hakusan Shrine is also famous for its hydrangeas. Over 3000 bushes grow here. They bloom during the rainy season. This gives the place a colorful look. The Hydrangea Festival or Ajisai Matsuri occurs in the first week of June. People come from all over to admire the beauty.
Hakusan’s history stretches back centuries. Hakusan Shrine was founded in 948. The Hakusan Hime Shrine in Kaga Province requested its construction. Kaga Province is in present-day Ishikawa Prefecture. In the Meiji era, it became an associate imperial shrine. It became one of Tokyo’s ten shrines in 1975.
The deities enshrined here are Kukurihime-no-mikoto. Also Izanagi-no-mikoto and Izanami-no-mikoto are worshipped here. Kikurihime-no-Mikoto is the goddess of Mount Hakusan. Mount Hakusan is one of Japan’s three most sacred mountains. She is also called Shirayama-hime. She is the goddess of marriage and business negotiations. She mediated between Izanami and Izanagi in Hades.
Hakusan Shrine gave its name to this area. It also named the subway station. It has been familiar to this area for a long time. Today, residential and commercial areas surround it. Sengen Shrine is an auxiliary shrine of Hakusan Shrine. It sits behind the main shrine building. It’s on a small hill. It is normally closed for the privacy of residents. The shrine opens to the public during the Ajisai Festival.
Hakusan-jinya Shrine was an enshrinement of Kaga Hakusan’s Hakusan-jinja Shrine. It was the village shrine for Koishikawa. It flourished as the major Hakusan worship site in Edo. The shrine moved when the 5th Shogun Tsunayoshi headed the Tatebayashi Clan. He constructed the Koishikawa Goten, a stately mansion, at the site of the ruins. The mansion drew water from the Sen-kawa River. It was surrounded by a moat. It was said to have been picturesque.
In 1684, a Yakuen was established. It was a garden for medicinal herbs. It was at the north corner of the site. It expanded later. At present the site is The University of Tokyo affiliated Koishikawa Botanical Gardens.