Yushima Tenmangu (Yushima Tenjin)

History and Divine Virtue

This ancient shrine is said to have begun in 458, when Ame-no-Tajikarao no Mikoto was first enshrined here. In 1355 the local people invited and jointly enshrined Sugawara no Michizane, the deity of learning. In 1478 the warrior-poet Ota Dokan rebuilt the halls, and through the Edo period the shrine drew the devotion of the Tokugawa shoguns and of scholars and men of letters such as Hayashi Razan, flourishing as one of Edo's leading Tenjin shrines. Its deity Sugawara no Michizane was a distinguished scholar and statesman of the Heian period, revered as the god of learning in memory of his scholarly virtue. During examination season the grounds fill with countless votive plaques praying for success. The shrine is also famed for its plum blossoms — the setting of Izumi Kyoka's "Onna Keizu" and its "white plum of Yushima" — and during the plum festival from February to March some 300 white plum trees come into bloom. Set on a rise near Ueno and Hongo, it preserves the atmosphere of old Edo in the heart of the modern city.

Visiting Notes

• The racks of votive plaques for academic success and passing exams are a striking sight, drawing students from across the country before their tests.
• The ox is the sacred messenger of Sugawara no Michizane; the custom is to stroke the shrine's "nade-ushi" (petting ox) while making one's wish.
• The plum festival in February and March, with some 300 white plum trees, marks the shrine's fame as a place to view the blossoms.

Deities and Location

Enshrined Deities

Ame-no-Tajikarao no Mikoto, Sugawara no Michizane

Location

東京都文京区湯島 (Tokyo)

Access

About 2 minutes on foot from Yushima Station (Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line)

Lineage

Career & Victory

Visiting hours, goshuin (shrine stamps), and festival dates change; please confirm the latest information through each shrine's official announcements. If you find an error in this entry, we would be grateful if you let us know.