Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine

photo by 三人日 · CC BY-SA 4.0

photo by wongwt · CC BY-SA 2.0

The main hall became a national Important Cultural Property in May 2026.

You enter under the great torii and walk through the ‘ema tunnel’ (絵馬トンネル), a passage covered with thousands of votive tablets hung by people seeking a bond of love; the shrine venerates two couples of deities and is the best-known place in Japan for enmusubi (縁結び, the bond of destiny). From late June to early September about 2,000 furin, Edo-style wind chimes, are hung in the courtyard for the summer festival. The shrine's carvings depict the floats of the Kawagoe Matsuri, UNESCO intangible heritage since 2016.

Tradition dates it to 541, as an offshoot of the Hikawa Shrine of Ōmiya, head of the network of Hikawa shrines across the whole Kantō. It became the tutelary deity of Kawagoe Castle after the castle was built in 1457 by Ōta Dōkan. The main hall (本殿) was designated a national Important Cultural Property in May 2026.

ℹ️ The grounds can be visited 24 hours a day. The counter for amulets and rites is open 8:00–18:00 (different hours at New Year: 0:00–3:00 and 6:00–19:00 on 1 January, 8:00–19:00 on the 2nd–3rd). The furin festival runs roughly from late June to early September, with dates that vary from year to year.

🚉 Hon-Kawagoe · 24 min walk

Sources: kawagoehikawa.jp · kawagoehikawa.jp

All series · Open the map