Fukutoku Shrine (Mebuki Inari), a power spot in the buzzing commercial district of Nihonbashi, Tokyo

03 Feb 2021

Have you ever heard about Nihonbashi, an area that flourished as a castle town during the Edo shogunate? Today, it is a lively commercial district prospered as Tokyo's financial and economic center. Over the last years, its urban landscape has been transformed with several major redevelopments, and some stunning places emerged. Fukutoku Shrine (Mebuki Inari), a power spot hidden in the gleaming skyscraper area of Nihonbashi, is one of them.

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About Fukutoku Shrine (Mebuki Inari)

History and Features

Located in the business district of Nihonbashi, Fukutoku Shrine was first established over 1000 years ago, during the Jogan era (859-876). Also called Mebuki Inari, this shrine has a long history and was often visited by Tokugawa Ieyasu. However, its main building was completely lost to fire and air raids and around 2010, had been relocated to the rooftops and stores in Nihonbashi where it quietly sat for a while. As time passed, the shrine was refurbished and established in its current place as part of the development of the Nihonbashi Muromachi district.

In Japanese, its characters bear a prosperous meaning, with fuku standing for happiness and toku standing for blessings and wealth.

One of the few authorized to conduct lotteries in the Edo period (1603-1867), Fukutoku shrine is visited by many praying for good luck in the lotteries to this day. Tomikuji, fortune lottery, is considered to be the origin of the modern lottery, and during the Edo period, only temples and shrines authorized by the shogunate were allowed to hold lotteries.

More recently considered a power spot for good luck, it is crowded with visitors praying for winning tickets to see various artists and live performances.

Its location makes it convenient for office workers to come in to pay their respects whenever they can find the time, before or after work. Visiting a shrine often takes a whole day depending on your location, but Fukutoku Shrine, hidden in the buzzing commercial district of Nihonbashi, is a perfect place to stop by between work and shopping.

Fukutoku Shrine is worshipping Ukanomitama-no-mikoto, also called Oinari-san. During the Edo period, Hidetada Tokugawa dedicated the shrine to Benzaiten, a goddess of good fortune who resided in Edo Castle. Ukanomitama-no-mikoto is the god of commercial prosperity and Benzaiten is the god of wealth in business, making it a perfect match for Nihonbashi, the economic hub of Japan.

The precincts of a shrine

Highlights of the shrine grounds　

This is an entrance to the shrine. No matter which angle you take the photo with, you can see the shrine fitting in quite well with the surrounding buildings.

The main building is located on the left to the torii gate.

When heading to the shrine, on the right side, you will find temizuya, a place for purifying hands and mouth before praying. Temizuya at Fukutoku Shrine features constantly flowing water, streaming from the mouth of a guardian dragon.

Once you are done with cleaning, head to the main building to pay your respect.

The entrance to the sacred grounds is protected by guardian foxes. The fox on the right side holds a jewel, and the fox on the left holds a key in its mouth.

※Read this article to learn how to use temizuya and pray

Omamori and Omikuji

Fukutoku Shrine offers several types of charms omamori and wooden plaques ema. Don’t miss your chance to get a rare fox-shaped ema!

Write your wish on the backside of a paired fox-shaped plate, split it, hang one up at a special place called ema-kake and take another one back home. According to the legend, the fox spouse will work hard to reunite with its beloved, and your wish will come true. After your wish is fulfilled, visit the shrine to thank the fox and hang the wooden plaque up at the ema-kake to help spouses be together again.

Orei-mairi is a customary visit to a shrine to express gratitude for making your wish come true.

There are also charms for health, luck with money, prosperity in business, safe travel, happy marriage and all kinds of good fortune. It may be fun to look for an omamori charm that perfectly matches your wishes

Goshuin, seal stamp

Fukutoku Shrine offers goshuin, seal stamps, with this pattern.

You can receive it at the office on the left side of the shrine (opening hours are usually from 10:00 to 15:00.)

What’s nearby

Next to Fukutoku Shrine is a shopping and entertainment complex COREDO Muromachi.

The street between Coredo Muromachi 1 and Coredo Muromachi 2 leads to Fukutoku Shrine and is often beautifully decorated to celebrate seasonal events.

Fukutoku Shrine, a power spot located in the commercial district in Tokyo, is a spectacular sight when illuminated at night. It is nested near the Mandarin Oriental Hotel and easily accessible, so don’t hesitate to stop by when visiting for business!

Access

Address	103-0022 2-4-14 Nihonbashi Muromachi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Transportation	1 min walk from Mitsukoshimae Station on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line 5 min walk from Mitsukoshimae Station on the Hanzomon Line 4 min walk from Shin-Nihonbashi station 10 min walk from JR Tokyo Station / Kanda Station
Official website	https://mebuki.jp/