Machida Tenmangu Shrine

Fabulous mythical creatures carved in wood

Cathy Cawood Jan 18, 2015 - 1 min read

<p>Beautifully carved shishi - a mythical animal with protective powers</p>

<p>Blossom motif in gold on the roof apex</p>

<p>Stone lanterns and two ox statues stand beside the straight path to the shrine</p>

<p>Small stones inside one of the lanterns</p>

<p>Ox statue with a small Inari shrine in the background</p>

<p>Visitors pray at the main shrine building</p>

<p>On New Year's day the path to the shrine is crowded</p>

<p>Several carved wooden scenes feature birds</p>

<p>Luck 5 yen coins on the eyes of this guardian koma-inu statue</p>

<p>One of the carved strongmen supporting the roof</p>

<p>A tiny shrine with one red tori stands in a corner</p>

<p>These tori lead to a small Inari shrine</p>

Tenmangu shrines usually have ox statues, and there are two at Machida Tenmangu. The main building is beautiful, and many people visit through the day to pray there, especially before exam time since Tenmangu shrines are believed to be efficacious for study. To the left of the main building is another building with lovely wooden carvings of dragons, shishi (mythical lion-dogs with protective powers), and scenes with flowers and birds.

Cathy Cawood @cathy.cawood

I came to Japan in 2003 to teach English. I lived in Shiga prefecture for 1 year, and it still holds a special place in my heart. I lived in Kyoto for 9 years, then moved to Machida, Tokyo in 2014 after meeting my Japanese partner. I love to take photos, and my Japan in Pictures Facebook page ha...