Sengen-jinja

A lavish shrine in Shizuoka City

Peter Sidell Jan 03, 2015 - 1 min read

<p>A guardian statue by one of the shrine gates</p>

<p>Some of the carvings in the eaves</p>

<p>More carvings overhead, with some fierce-looking airborne lions</p>

<p>This lantern's been here a good long time</p>

<p>This side shrine has some newer lanterns</p>

<p>These must have also been standing here a while</p>

<p>One of the entrance gates from the street</p>

<p>On the hill behind the shrine there's a tumulus with this burial chamber inside</p>

<p>The path up the hill behind the shrine</p>

<p>A view out over the city from the hill behind the shrine</p>

<p>Another way to get to the hill is up these steps</p>

<p>There's also a peaceful pond in the shrine grounds</p>

<p>Grass grows from the lichens on the trees</p>

<p>I really don't know what these balls are</p>

Half an hour north of the station, Sengen-jinja is Shizuoka City's largest and most important shrine. It's worth visiting for the peaceful atmosphere - in one hour here, I saw maybe ten other people - and for the beautiful detailed carvings decorating many of the buildings, contrasting with the ancient moss on the trees and old lanterns. Climb up the hill behind the main shrine grounds and you'll find an old tumulus, a very nice view out over the city, and you might get to meet some of the wild pigs living in the forest there!

Peter Sidell @peter.sidell

I came to Japan from Manchester, England in 2003, and have travelled a lot since then, around Japan and in Asia. When I'm not working, I write satire and perform stand-up comedy in and around Tokyo. Check YouTube for a taste.