Some of the gods in residence at Tokyo’s shrines have hilarious and entertaining specialties! Oddly enough, many of these shrines sit on the grounds of venerable Buddhist temples. Japan’s indigenous Shintoism predates the arrival of Buddhism, and because Buddhist belief doesn’t require renouncing allegiance to other gods, they preserved the sites honoring the old gods and built their temples around them.
Here are the shrines dedicated to my favorite kami-sama and how to snag some of their favor for yourself…
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THE WART SHRINE
Resident kami-sama’s superpower: Curing warts
How to get your warts cured: Throw a coin in the offering box, bow, pick up a handful of the salt surrounding the Jizo figure, rub it on the offending area, throw it back on the pile, and bow again.
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THE TIED-UP SAINT
Resident kami-sama’s superpower: Saving your bacon from a tricky situation
How to ask the Shibarare Jizo to get you out of a pickle: Throw a ¥100 coin in the offering box by the rack of cut lengths of rope and choose one. Move to the Jizo figure, throw another coin in the offering box before it, the put your hands together and ask for what you need. Step up and tie your piece of rope around the figure. After your wish is granted, return to the temple and toss in another ¥100 coin, then thank the Shibarare Jizo. Untie one of the ropes on the figure and toss it into one of the wooden baskets near the altar
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THE COMIC BOOK SHRINE
Resident kami-sama’s superpower: Boosting the careers of anime and comic book artists
How to ask the gods to help you become a successful artist: Buy a wooden ema prayer plaque at the shrine store window (in the building to the left of the main sanctuary), pen your wish on the back, draw something awesome, hang it on one of the racks.
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THE MATCHMAKING SHRINE
Resident kami-sama’s superpower: Finding that perfect someone
How to ask the gods to find you the perfect mate: Buy a wooden ema prayer plaque at the shrine store window, pen your wish on the back, hang it on the rack. When your wish is granted, return to the shrine and do the same thing again to thank them.
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THE SINGLE WORD SHRINE
Resident kami-sama’s superpower: Granting any request that can be made with only one word
How to ask the Hitocoto Jizo to grant your heartfelt wish: Feed a coin into the offering box. Clap your hands twice. Fold your hands and bow your head and say the word. Bow again.
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THE SCAPEGOAT SHRINE
Resident kami-sama’s superpower: Taking your place when you’re on the hot seat
How to ask the Migawari Jizo to save you from a pounding: Bring some incense (or buy some at the temple store) to burn in the little altar in front of the figure. Light the incense, put it on the little tray, fold your hands and make your wish.
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THE LOST CAT SHRINE
Resident kami-sama’s superpower: Returning lost cats to their owners
How to ask the kami-sama to send back your lost cat: Buy an ema prayer plaque at the shrine store, then write your wish with your cat’s name on the back and hang it on the rack with the other pleas for lost cats.
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THE HAIR SHRINE
Resident kami-sama’s superpower: Smiling upon the careers of hairstyists, Kabuki and Noh stage actors & wig makers, and restoring thinning hair to its youthful glory
How to enlist the good hair gods to smile upon your tresses, receding hairline, and/or hair-centric career: At the Oji Shrine, go around the main shrine buildings to the parking lot in back. Toss a coin into the offering box. Bow and clap twice. Fold your hands and bow your head. Make a wish. Bow again.
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THE FOX SHRINE
Resident kami-sama’s superpower: Granting big wishes (this is a famed power spot), especially wishes having to do with business success/prosperity
How to enlist the fox gods to shower prosperity upon you: Buy a pair of fox figures at the shrine shop. Hike up the path, and when you see a setting that feels right to you, nestle your foxes into the scene, fold your hands, and make your wish. Leave them there to work their magic.
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THE DISH-BREAKING SHRINE
Resident kami-sama’s superpower: Banishing negative people from your life
How to get rid of negative people in your life: Put ¥100 in the offering box. Take a dish. Walk around to the place with two big rocks surrounded by pottery shards. Stand before one of the rocks and wish for the negative person to be gone from your life. Throw the dish as hard as you can against the rock. If it doesn’t break, buy another one and try again. Rinse, repeat.
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THE MONEY-WASHING SHRINE
Resident kami-sama’s superpower: Doubling your money within the year
How to double your money in the next year: Pay ¥100 to the monk manning the window at the shrine shop, and take an empty basket from the stack in front. Put the money you want to double in the basket. Enter the cave to your left and wait your turn to dip some water from the stream and pour it over your money. Let your money air dry (don’t try to dry it over the burning incense in the urn, or it might go up in smoke instead!)
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And if you’re looking for cherry blossom goodness that hasn’t been discovered by the masses yet, scroll down to Deep Dive #1 on the Seven Perfect Days in Tokyo page
And here are the other places I take my friends when they come to town
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Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Japan, produces the monthly e-magazine Japanagram, and blogs at Only In Japan and The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had
Jonelle Patrick writes about Japan 