Tokyo Stroll Supplement: Asakusa Shichifukujin Meguri / Asakusa Seven Lucky Deities Pilgrimage
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Asakusa Shichifukujin Meguri / Asakusa Seven Lucky Deities Pilgrimage (浅草 七福神 めぐり)
The pilgrimage is usually done in the first week of January, this one can also be done at other times of the year. People usually do the pilgrimage with one of three special pilgrimage relics. They are:A fukue, a print of the shichifukujin which is stamped at each location.
A shikishi, a square white board, each location will add calligraphy and the stamp.
A fukusasa, bamboo branch on which you hang a series of small ema one for each of the shichifukujin.
Some temples only offer the relics only during the new year period, for this pilgrimage that period is:
- January 1-3 from 9 am to 6 pm.
- January 4-7 from 9 am to 5 pm
- January 8 from 9 am to 4 pm
However you can do the Asakusa Shichifukujin Meguri at any time of year.
NOTE: There are nine locations on this list as there are two for Fukurokuju and two for Jurōjin.
Walking Distance: Approximately 7.8 km.
The shrines and temples below are numbered in a suggested route for easier walking. If you wish you can also do them in revers order, or ignore the suggested order and create your own route. This page is just a quick list of the pilgrimage locations.
1. Sensōji (浅草寺): Tokyo Stroll, Asakusa Chapter, page 86
PILGRIMAGE: This temple is on the Asakusa Shichifukujin Meguri route for Daikokuten.
NEAREST TRAIN/SUBWAY STATION: Asakusa Station (Ginza Line), Asakusa Station (Tobu Railway), Asakusa Station (Tsukuba Express)
WEB: https://www.senso-ji.jp
2. Asakusa Shrine / Asakusa Jinja [aka Sanja Sama, Shrine of the Three Guardians] (浅草神社): Tokyo Stroll, Asakusa Chapter, page 88
PILGRIMAGE: This shrine is on the Asakusa Shichifukujin Meguri route for Ebisu.
NEAREST TRAIN/SUBWAY STATION: Asakusa Station (Ginza Line), Asakusa Station (Tobu Railway)
WEB: https://www.asakusajinja.jp
3. Matsuchiyama Shōden (待乳山聖天): Tokyo Stroll, Yoshiwara and Sanya Chapter, page 472
ADDENDUM: The hill the temple is on is actually a kofun.
PILGRIMAGE: This temple is on the Asakusa Shichifukujin Meguri route for Bishamonten.
NEAREST TRAIN/SUBWAY STATIONS: Asakusa Station (Tokyo Metro Ginza Line, Tobu Skytree Line)
WEB: http://www.matsuchiyama.jp
4. Imado Shrine / Imado Jinja (今戸神社): Tokyo Stroll, Yoshiwara and Sanya Chapter, page 470
PILGRIMAGE: This shrine is on the Asakusa Shichifukujin Meguri route for Fukurokuju.
NEAREST TRAIN/SUBWAY STATIONS: Asakusa Station (Tokyo Metro Ginza Line, Tobu Skytree Line)
WEB: https://imadojinja1063.crayonsite.net
5. Ishihama Shrine / Ishihama Jinja (石浜神社)
This shrine is said to date from 724, the first year of the Jinki Era, and was constructed under Emperor Shōmu's orders making this the oldest shrine in Arakawa ku. Minamoto no Yoritomo, founder of the Kamakura Shōgunate prayed here after the defeat of the Fujiwara clan in 1189 and donated a building to the shrine. The seventh Kamakura Shōgun, Prince Koreyasu gave imperials gifts to the shrine and had prayers offered for victory against the Mongol invaders. There are two torii that date from 1749 and 1779.
The shrine proper is in the Shinmei-style and is registered as a Tangible Cultural Property. An arsonist burned down the main building in 1934, the hall was then rebuilt in 1937. All of the buildings were destroyed in the bombings of WWII. In 1988 the shrine was moved to the present location as part of redevelopment of this part of Tokyo.
The kami enshrined here are Amaterasu Ōmikami and Toyouke no Ōmikami. There are various sub-shrines for other kami on the grounds such as Edo Jinja for Susanoo-no-Mikoto, Kitano Jinja for Sugawara no Michizane, Myōgi Hachiman for Yamato Takeru and Emperor Ojin, Araka Jinja for Hikosashiri-no-mikoto, the White Fox Shrine, Masaki Inari Jinja for Toyoukehime-no-kami, Oide Inari Jinja also for Toyoukehime. In 1977 Jurōjin was enshrined at Ishihama Jinja as part of the revival of the Asakusa Shichifukujin Meguri route. On the grounds there is a Shintō cemetery, Ishihama Cemetery, which was opened in 2000. Shintō cemeteries are very rare few shrines have them. The grounds also contain a fujizuka mound, three kōshin towers next tot he fujizuka, as well as monuments with inscriptions from the Tale of Ise and poems by Kameda Bōsai The shrine is next to the Sumidagawa, nearby, to the south, was the location of Ishihama castle bult next to the ferry for the river. The Raku Ishihama Teahouse is on the grounds near the parking lot south of the torii where you can get snacks and beverages. The teahouse is closed on Wednesdays.
PILGRIMAGES: This shrine is on the Asakusa Shichifukujin Meguri route for Jurōjin.
ACCESS: The entrance is from the south next to a parking lot.
NEAREST TRAIN/SUBWAY STATIONS: Minami-Senju Station (Hibiya Line, Tsukuba Express, Jōban Line (Rapid)
WEB: https://www.ishihamajinja.jp
6. Hashiba Fudōson (橋場不動院)
Founded in 760 as a Hossō sect Buddhist temple it was reorganized in 1163 to become a Tendai temple under the control of Sensōji at that time. Tradition has it that the temple's image of Fudō-myōō was carved by Rōben, it is also said this one of three carved from the same block of wood. The current main hall dates from 1845.
PILGRIMAGE: This temple is on the Asakusa Shichifukujin Meguri route for Hōtei
NEAREST TRAIN/SUBWAY STATIONS: Asakusa Station (Ginza Line), Asakusa Station (Toei Asakusa Line), Asakusa Station (Tobu Railway), Higashi-Mukōjima Station (Tobu Skytree Line)
FESTIVALS: The 28th of every month is the festival day of Fudō-myōō.
WEB: https://www.fudoin.jp/english/
7. Yoshiwara Shrine /Yoshiwara Jinja (吉原神社): Tokyo Stroll, Yoshiwara and Sanya Chapter, page 464
PILGRIMAGE: This shrine is on the Asakusa Shichifukujin Meguri route for Benzaiten
NEAREST TRAIN/SUBWAY STATION: Minowa Station (Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line)
WEB: http://yoshiwarajinja.tokyo-jinjacho.or.jp/syoukai00.html
8. Ōtori Shrine / Ōtori Jinja (鷲神社): Tokyo Stroll, Yoshiwara and Sanya Chapter, page 464
PILGRIMAGE: This shrine is on the Asakusa Shichifukujin Meguri route for Jurōjin
NEAREST TRAIN/SUBWAY STATION: Minowa Station (Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line)
WEB: https://otorisama.or.jp
9. Yasaki Inari Shrine / Yasaki Inari Jinja (矢先稲荷神社)
This shrine was founded in 1642 when Tokugawa Iemitsu, was the third Tokugawa shōgun, as part of the Asakusa Sanjūsangendō Temple. This temple was modeled on the Sanjūsangendō in Kyoto and was the location of the Toshiya archery practice range and competition. The shrine is said to have been built where the first targets were placed, the 矢 in the shrine name can mean arrowhead. In 1698 Sanjūsangendō burned down and it was decided to rebuild it in Fukagawa but to leave the shrine in Asakusa. In the March 1945 firebombings of the area the shrine was destroyed, a temporary shrine was then built and the full shrine rebuilt in 1960. The artist Ebine Shundō was hired to paint the ceiling of the worship hall with 100 paintings on horsemanship, including horseback archery, this project took five years.
PILGRIMAGE: This shrine is on the Asakusa Shichifukujin Meguri route for Fukurokujo.
NEAREST TRAIN/SUBWAY STATIONS: Tawaramachi Station (Ginza Line), Asakusa Station (Tsukuba Express)
FESTIVALS: Reitaisai Annual Grand Fesitval is in mid June.
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Created September 12, 2024 | Content last updated August 23, 2026