Before 1868 only Ise, Kashima and this shrine were entitled to the title ‘Jingū’.
The red torii opens onto an avenue between cherry and maple trees that climbs to the shrine, dedicated to the warrior god Futsunushi. In the grounds stands the Yōishi, a stone that, legend says, holds down an underground catfish, the cause of earthquakes. It is one of the ‘three eastern shrines’ together with Kashima and Ikisu.
Katori Jingū is, with Ise and Kashima, one of only three shrines that before the Meiji Restoration could use the honorific title ‘Jingū’ instead of ‘Jinja’. The present shrine dates from 1700, rebuilt at the wish of the Tokugawa shogunate.
ℹ️ General hours 8:30–17:00; prayer services until 16:30, treasure house (宝物館) until 16:00, admission to the treasure house 300 yen for adults (source: katori-jingu.or.jp and aggregated search).
🚉 香取神宮前 · 8 min walk
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Nearby
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