Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine

Hikawa Shrine is worshipped as the chief guardian of Kawagoe. It is said to have been founded in the Kofun period (541), and construction of the current main shrine, built in 1842, began with beautiful carvings.

Ota Michikan, a military commander in the late Muromachi Period (15th century) who built Edo Castle and Kawagoe Castle, revered the shrine and since then it has been regarded as the general guardian of Kawagoe and has been heavily protected by successive generations of Kawagoe domain lords.

The shrine has long been known as the “god of family harmony” and as the “god of marriage,” and many couples still hold their weddings here.

The annual festival is held every October and is considered one of the three major festivals in the Kanto region, and is designated as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Asset of Japan.

In addition, 33 events from across Japan have been registered as Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO as “Yama, Hoko, Yatai events,” which includes the Kawagoe Hikawa Festival’s float events.

Hikawa Shrine

Hikawa Shrine, also called Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine, is located in Miyashita-cho, Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture. There are 14 Hikawa shrines in Kawagoe City, and this shrine has been revered by Ota Doshu as the general guardian of Kawagoe. The lord of the Kawagoe domain and successive lords also respected this shrine.

The Kawagoe Festival (Kawagoe Hikawa Matsuri) is designated as a national Important Intangible Folk Cultural Asset, and the “regular festival” is held at Hikawa Shrine on October 14 every year. The “Jinko Matsuri” and “Yamae Event (festival rites)” are also held immediately after the festival.

There is an old saying at Hikawa Shrine that “if you take home a piece of gravel from the shrine grounds and cherish it, you will be blessed with a good marriage. For this reason, white gravel is placed in front of the main shrine building, and 20 “matchmaking balls,” which are wrapped in hemp netting by a shrine maiden and purified by a priest, are distributed every morning from 8:00 a.m. The shrine also holds a Tanabata Festival in summer.

In summer, when the festival includes Tanabata (Star Festival), more than 2,000 Edo-style wind chimes are displayed in the temple grounds, and a festival called “Enmusubi Fu-ring” is held grandly, in which strips of paper with wishes written on them are tied.

History

The history of Hikawa Shrine dates back to 541 (the 2nd year of Emperor Kinmei), when a glowing object appeared nightly on the Iruma River, which was believed to be the spiritual light of the god Hikawa, and Hikawa Shrine was built here. In 1457, Ota Dokan, who built Kawagoe Castle, visited the shrine and composed a waka poem.

Successive lords of the Kawagoe domain also respected the shrine, with Sakai Tadakatsu, Hotta Masamori, Matsudaira Narinori, and others involved in the construction of the shrine. The shrine once had the status of a prefectural shrine, but is now an attached shrine of the Jinja Honcho.

In 1948, a ritual stone sword was excavated from the precincts of the shrine, revealing that this area was the site of a settlement and rituals during the Kofun period, mainly in the 5th century. Then, in 2003 (Heisei 15), an “ema tunnel” was established.

Shrine Pavilions and Precincts

The shrine pavilions and precincts have the following features

The main shrine pavilions: The main pavilion is an irimoya style with a copper shingle roof, and was completed in 1849 (Kaei 2) with the donation of Matsudaira Natsunori. It is decorated with elaborate Edo carvings by the sculptors Shimamura Genzo and Iida Ganjiro.

Yasaka Shrine (formerly Ushiro-tenno-sha): This shrine was built in 1637 by Tokugawa Iemitsu in the second circle of Edo Castle and later moved to the outer shrine of Miyoshino Shrine in Kawagoe Castle. After Kawagoe Castle was abandoned, it was moved to its current location in 1872 (Meiji 5) and used as a shrine building.

Kakimotojinmaro Shrine

Inari Shrine

Gokoku Shrine: 2,970 soldiers from Kawagoe who died in the Civil War and later are enshrined here, and in 1935, Isoroku Yamamoto attended the reconstruction of the shrine.

The precincts of the shrine are also home to one of the largest wooden torii gates in Japan. The shrine name is written by Kaishu Katsu on the oblong plaque. There is also a dance hall, built in 1704, where musical and dedication performances are held.

There is a place called “Hari-no-gawa” within the precincts of the shrine, where a doll floating event is held.

Rituals and annual events

The following are some of the festivals and annual events held at the shrine.

Prayers for a good marriage: Held at 8:08 on the 8th day of every month and at 8:08 on the 4th Saturday of every month (or at 8:38 on the same day if a large number of applications are received). The number “8” is because it is an auspicious number. For details, please refer to the official website.

Kawagoe Hikawa Festival: This festival started in 1652 (Keian 4) and has been held since the time of Kawagoe feudal lord Matsudaira Nobutsuna. The festival used to be held on October 14 and 15 every year, but since 1997, it has been held on the third Saturday and Sunday of October. 29 floats are used, and about 15 floats are pulled around the city alternately every year.

Otsuyoe changeover ritual: This ritual is held on December 28. Red and white silk is dedicated to the inner sanctuary of the main shrine.

Grand Purification: This ceremony is held on July 31 and December 31, and is a ritual to purify the impurities of daily life.

Enmusubi Wind Bell: This event started in 2014 and is held from July to September. More than 2,000 Edo-style wind chimes are lined up on the temple grounds, and visitors can write their wishes on strips of paper and tie them to the wind chimes.

Koi Akari (Koi Akari Special Good Luck Prayer Festival): This summer event started in 2017 and is held at the same time as the En-musubi Fu-ring. Special bonbori (paper lanterns) are given by Hikawa Shrine. The light source of the bonbori is LED bulbs, which can be changed to the color of your choice.

Koedo Kawagoe Spring Boat Tour

The Shinkagishi River, which stretches behind Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine, is known as a cherry blossom viewing spot with spectacular scenery in spring. Along the river, there is a row of cherry blossom trees stretching about 500 meters, and cherry blossoms in full bloom are in gorgeous profusion.

Especially on weekends in early April, an elegant event called “Koedo Kawagoe Spring Boat Tour” is held. In this event, visitors can enjoy viewing cherry blossoms on a Japanese-style boat. Viewed from the river, you can see a beautiful tunnel of cherry blossoms and cherry petals floating on the surface of the water. The sight of the flower rafts is spectacular, and many people are attracted by their beauty.