Hie Shrine

Located in Nagatacho, Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, this shrine has long been deeply revered as the chief guardian of Edo, known as 'the pacifier of the imperial capital.' The enshrined deities (kami) are Oyamatsumi-no-Kami (Mountain-Cleaving Deity) as the main deity, and Kuninotokotachi-no-Kami, Izanami-no-Kami, and Ashinakahiko-no-Mikoto as accompanying deities. Its origins date back to 1478 CE (Bunmei 10), when Oda Nobushige enshrined the deity from Kawagoe Yamato Shrine within Edo Castle as a protective spirit. After Tokugawa Ieyasu entered Edo in 1590 CE (Tensho 18), the shrine served as the guardian of Edo Castle and received devout reverence from the shogunal family; visits by the shogun's heir, children, and various daimyo (feudal lords) were continuous. Following the great fire of 1657 CE (Meireki 3), the fourth shogun, Tokugawa Ienari, relocated the shrine to its current site in Akasaka. The annual Yamato Festival is one of the Three Great Festivals of Edo, alongside the Kanda Festival and Fukagawa Festival, and was known as the 'Festival of the Realm' because the portable shrine (mikoshi) entered Edo Castle.