Atago Shrine

photo by Yoshikazu TAKADA · CC BY 2.0

photo by Hanonimas · CC BY-SA 3.0

86 steps at ~40°: the highest natural hill in the 23 wards, just 25.7 m.

Those who do not want to tackle the steep ‘Stairway of Success’ (86 steps at about 40 degrees, linked to the legend of a samurai who rode up it on horseback) reach the top by car or by the lift on the opposite side. At the top, besides the main shrine, a small pond with carp and a teahouse look out over a city that has grown up all around this hill, the highest natural point in Tokyo's twenty-three wards.

Founded in 1603 at the wish of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the shrine is dedicated to the fire god Homusubi-no-Mikoto, protector against fires and explosions. The hill it stands on, 25.7 metres high, is still today the highest natural point in Tokyo's 23 wards.

ℹ️ Grounds and shrine free, with no hours and no ticket. ⚠️ The official site contradicts itself on the hours of the teahouse and the amulet office: 11:00–16:00, closed on Wednesdays according to one page, closed on Thursdays according to another. Walking access from the nearest station not found in an open source in this session.

🚉 Kamiyacho · 6 min walk

Sources: atago-jinja.com · ja.wikipedia.org

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