Yushima Tenman-gu (Yushima Tenjin)

Yushima Tenjin Shrine is said to have been constructed in 458 by the Imperial order of Emperor Yuryaku. The official name is Yushima Tenmangu Shrine. This shrine was originally established to worship Ameno-tajikaraono-mikoto, one of deities that appears in the Japanese myths. But later, the spirit of Michizane Sugawara, a historical great politician, was also enshrined to venerate his extraordinary virtue and performances as a scholar. Since then scholars and writers have worshiped the shrine. Today many people, especially students visit the shrine to pray Michizane Sugawara. About the shrine pavilions, the Honden (main) building is connected with the Haiden hall where people pray. They were built with 250 year old Kiso cypress trees according to the tradition of shrine architecture. The precincts were selected by a famous Japanese ukiyo-e artist in the Edo era, Hiroshige Utagawa as a subject for his One Hundred Famous Views of Edo and were very popular as a recreation area for local Edo people. Plum trees were Michizane Sugawara’s favorite and approximately 300 plum trees are planted here and in the peak of blossoming, February, the shrine receives a lot of visitors. You can also see a large bronze statue of a cow, a typical feature of a Tenjin shrine known as a nade-ushi (stroking cow) as well as mikoshi portable shrine and artifacts in the museum. A two-minute walk from the Exit 3 of Yushima Station on the Subway Chiyoda Line.