Enjoy the tranquility and bustle of Sendai Toshogu Shrine! [Miyagi Prefecture]

Toshogu Shrine is a historic shrine dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu

Many of you may have visited Nikko Toshogu Shrine on a school trip

Did you know that Toshogu Shrine exists outside of Nikko? Toshogu Shrine is actually a group of shrines scattered all over Japan. It is the collective name for shrines dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu, the Tosho Daigongen

Hirosaki and Sendai are the two Toshogu shrines in Tohoku. Sendai Toshogu Shrine, which was established by the Date clan, who had ties to the Tokugawa clan, and was enshrined by Tokugawa Iemitsu, is a historic shrine that will celebrate its 365th anniversary in 2018!

So, this time I'll be introducing you to Sendai Toshogu Shrine!

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Background to the construction of Toshogu Shrine

Toshogu Shrine is a shrine dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu, and many feudal lords competed to build it

In the Tohoku region, the Hirosaki Domain was the first to build one, in 1617. This was followed by the Aizu Gamo clan and the Tsuruoka Domain, which then began a construction boom

Our Sendai Toshogu Shrine was built in 1654, 37 years after the Hirosaki domain

Why did they decide to build a Toshogu Shrine in Sendai? The reason is the great fire that occurred in Sendai in 1636

That year, the Sendai domain suffered a series of misfortunes, including the death of Date Masamune and the loss of the Wakabayashi warehouse. A major flood occurred the following year, putting the domain's finances in a tight spot. The domain was unable to overcome this financial crisis without borrowing a massive sum of 100,000 ryo from the shogunate

Feeling grateful for the loan, the second feudal lord, Date Tadamune, asked Tokugawa Iemitsu to build Toshogu Shrine, and thus a magnificent shrine was built in Tamadezaki, Odawara Village, northeast of Sendai Castle

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What is Odawara Village's Tamadezaki?

So why was Toshogu Shrine built at Tamatezaki, far from Sendai Castle?

Tamatezaki, located northeast of Sendai city, is a scenic hill from which you can see the blue sea in the distance on a clear day

In fact, it is said that this land had a slight connection with Tokugawa Ieyasu

In 1591, Tokugawa Ieyasu rested here on his way back to Edo, which was then the grounds of Tenjin Shrine. The beautiful scenery of Tamatezaki was probably the perfect place to rest. Due to this connection, the place was chosen as the site of the enshrined deity

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Highlights of Sendai Toshogu Shrine

Sendai Toshogu Shrine is a nationally designated important cultural property, and there is much to see

For example, there is the imposing gate in front of the main shrine

This gate is called Zuishinmon, and is a three-bay, one-door gate in the style of a tower gate. The key point is that although it incorporates Chinese and Japanese styles in various places, it is strangely well-balanced

In addition, an antique market is held on the fourth Sunday of every month, bringing a lively atmosphere to the path from the stone torii gate to the stone steps. If you're making the effort to visit Toshogu Shrine, it might be a good idea to visit on one of the days when the antique market is being held

In addition to kimonos, pottery, and antique accessories, the antique market also sells antique goods that you wouldn't normally know where to buy, such as boxes to store hanging scrolls, so even people who are just starting to collect antiques can have a lot of fun!

Personally, my favorite way to enjoy the market is to look down on the antique market from around the Suijinmon Gate

You can feel the contrast between the tranquility of the shrine and the lively atmosphere of the city, which will make the charm of Toshogu Shrine even more striking!

Other important cultural properties include the main hall behind the worship hall, where the deity is enshrined, the Karamon gate and lattice fence surrounding the main hall, and the stone torii gate at the shrine's entrance, so be sure to check them out! Incidentally, the temizuya is a designated tangible cultural property of Miyagi Prefecture, and the stone steps are registered tangible cultural properties of Sendai City

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access

We recommend getting to Sendai Toshogu Shrine from Toshogu Station on the JR Senzan Line. It's only one stop from Sendai Station, so don't forget to get off there

If you are coming by car, there is a free parking lot that can accommodate 200 cars. However, please note that there may not be any parking spaces available on days when festivals or events are held, so please make sure to plan your visit with plenty of time

Sendai Toshogu Shrine <Information>

• Name: Sendai Toshogu Shrine
• Address: 1-6-1 Toshogu Shrine, Aoba Ward, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture, 981-0908
• Phone number: 022-234-3247
• Official URL: http://s-toshogu.jp/

Google Map

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