Hie Shrine

This famous Tokyo temple dates back to 1478. It was originally built inside the Edo Castle as protection from its enemies. It was moved to its present site in 1659, its role as guardian of the Palace unchanged.

While the outside portico is not important material, the torii gate has images of monkeys, the messenger of the shrine's god. A fine collection of Tokugawa swords and deity figures once paraded in the Sanno Festival are also on display in the shrine museum. The history takes you back in the time of the Kamakura Period when a man named Edo built a Hie Shrine for the guardian deity of his residence on grounds of the present Imperial Palace.

The Shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa was a worshipper of the deity in order to protect the Edo. The citizens of Edo also had the strongest faith in Hie Shrine which preserves the guardian deity of the Shogun. The shrine buildings were constructed in the Gongen- Zukuri style with vermilion- lacquered finishings. Unfortunately, the shrine buildings were burnt down in the bombing of Tokyo during the Second World War in 1945. The present shrine buildings were constructed in 1958 with contributions from numerous flocks and worshippers.

Hours: Apr- Sept: 5a- 6p; Oct- Mar: 6a- 5p

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Contact Information

Hie Shrine
2-10-15 Nagatacho, Chiyoda-ku
100-0014 Tokyo

Tel. +81335812471
shamusho@hiejinja.net
http://www.hiejinja.net/jindex.htm