Tour the gods of music and entertainment! Recommended shrines, temples, and power spots
Japan is home to countless shrines and temples, each said to offer various blessings.
Among them are many places believed to bestow benefits related to music and the performing arts.
In particular, shrines and temples that enshrine deities such as Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto—known from the legend of Ama-no-Iwato—Benzaiten, the goddess of music, and Gigeiten, who grants blessings for artistic pursuits, are especially popular for their supposed benefits in music and entertainment.
In this article, we’ll introduce not only famous shrines like Kurumazaki Shrine in Kyoto and Yoyogi Hachimangu in Tokyo, but also a wide range of shrines and temples across Japan connected to music and the performing arts.
We’ll also highlight music-related power spots such as musicians’ graves, monuments with song inscriptions, and memorial museums.
If any of these places catch your interest, be sure to pay them a visit.
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power spot
Yuji Koseki Memorial Museum
Yuji Koseki, the composer who released numerous pieces including the Olympic March, also drew attention in 2020 as the model for the NHK morning drama Yell. In his home prefecture of Fukushima, there is a facility that exhibits items related to him, such as his handwritten scores and records. It’s a place where you can once again feel the power of music that resonates in people’s hearts across time.
| Name | Yuji Koseki Memorial Museum |
| Address | 1-1 Irie-cho, Fukushima-shi, Fukushima-ken |
| Website | https://www.kosekiyuji-kinenkan.jp/ |
Koutoku-ji Temple
At Kōtoku-ji Temple in Nerima, Tokyo, there is the grave of Hidemaro Konoye, who was active as a composer and conductor. He worked with Kósçak Yamada to establish the Japan Symphony Association, the predecessor of the NHK Symphony Orchestra, and helped popularize orchestral music in Japan. The headstone of his grave is molded with the imprint of his left hand, offering a chance to connect with the trajectory of his life.
| Name | Koutoku-ji Temple |
| Address | 20-19, Sakuradai 6-chome, Nerima-ku, Tokyo |
Ikegami Honmon-ji Temple
Ikegami Honmon-ji is famous for having the grave of Rikidōzan, a professional wrestler from the Showa era, but the musician Nobu Kōda is also laid to rest there. She was active not only as a pianist and violinist, but is also known as the first Japanese classical composer.
| Name | Ikegami Honmon-ji Temple |
| Address | 1-1-1 Ikegami, Ota City, Tokyo |
| Website | https://honmonji.jp/ |
Nishitama Cemetery
At the Nishitama Cemetery in Akiruno City, Tokyo, the composer Kósçaku Yamada rests. In addition to creating children’s songs such as “Akatonbo” and “Pechika” in Japan, Yamada was also active as a conductor and worked to popularize orchestras in the country. Within the cemetery, there are displays including the lyrics and score of “Akatonbo,” as well as a bust of Yamada.
| Name | Nishitama Cemetery |
| Address | 716 Sugo, Akiruno-shi, Tokyo |
| Website | https://nishitamareien.com/ |
Gokokuji Temple
Gokokuji Temple in Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo—also known for being the burial site of Shigenobu Okuma—is home to the grave of composer Ikuma Dan as well. He was a figure who worked across all kinds of music, including symphonies, operas, wind ensemble pieces, choral works, and children’s songs. Gokokuji also contains many graves of people who were active in politics and business, so it might be nice to stroll around the temple grounds.
| Name | Gokokuji Temple |
| Address | 5-40-1 Otsuka, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo |
| Website | https://www.gokokuji.or.jp/ |
Amagi Pass Song Monument
There is a monument to Sayuri Ishikawa’s signature song “Amagi-goe” in Izu City, Shizuoka Prefecture. It stands near Joren Falls, which also appears in the lyrics of “Amagi-goe.” Musical notation is engraved on moss-covered rocks, letting you feel as if you’ve stepped into the world depicted in the song. It could be called a power spot where you can sense the strength of Ishikawa’s singing.
| Name | Amagi Pass Song Monument |
| Address | Yugashima, Izu City, Shizuoka Prefecture |
Amano-Iwato (the Heavenly Rock Cave)
Amano-Iwato, known from the legend of Iwato-gakure in which Ame-no-Uzume performed a dance to entice the sun goddess Amaterasu out of the cave where she was hiding. There is an Amano-Iwato in Shima City, Mie Prefecture, and you can actually visit it. From this legend, Ame-no-Uzume is revered as the goddess of the performing arts, and this Amano-Iwato can be considered a power spot associated with the arts.
| Name | Amano-Iwato (the Heavenly Rock Cave) |
| Address | Erihara, Isobe-cho, Shima City, Mie Prefecture |
| Website | https://www.iseshima-kanko.jp/spot/1357 |