Tour the gods of music and entertainment! Recommended shrines, temples, and power spots

Editor-in-Chief, RAG MUSICHane Keisuke
Editor-in-chief of RAG MUSIC. JFC-certified fact-checker. After working in a music studio and handling wedding sound, joined the RAG MUSIC editorial team in 2016. Experienced with a variety of instruments: marching band in elementary school, clarinet in junior high school wind ensemble, and drums in a band from high school onward. Drawing on my own musical activities and the experience gained through my work, I produce daily articles, including various song introductions, features on music festivals around the country, and live reports. In music, I enjoy not only rock from Japan and abroad but, lately, a wide range of J-pop as well.

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.

power spot

Hisamatsu Park

http://www.torican.jp

In Hisamatsu Park in Tottori City, there is a monument inscribed with the lyrics of the song “Furusato,” a school song that nearly everyone has sung. It was placed there because Teiichi Okano, the composer of “Furusato,” was from Tottori City. Next to the monument, there is a signboard with Okano’s profile and the history of “Furusato.” There’s also a melody box where you can listen to performances by artists who have covered the song—such as Masashi Sada and Saori Yuki. It’s a place where you can feel a sense of nostalgia through music, so if you’re in the area, why not stop by?

Name	Hisamatsu Park
Address	Tottori Prefecture, Tottori City, Higashi-machi, 2-chome
Website	https://www.torican.jp/spot/detail_1399.html

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Kagoshima-Chuo Station Ichibangai Shopping Street

http://www.c-itibangai-iddo.jp

Street pianos, now found all over Japan, actually have a relatively short history: the first one in the country was reportedly installed in 2011. That very first street piano in Japan is located in the Ichibangai Shopping Street at Kagoshima-Chuo Station. The pianist and YouTuber Harami-chan has also visited this piano, making it a wonderful power spot for those who play.

Name	Kagoshima-Chuo Station Ichibangai Shopping Street
Address	22-3 Chuo-cho, Kagoshima City, Kagoshima Prefecture
Website	https://www.c-itibangai-iddo.jp/street_piano/index.html

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In conclusion

We have compiled an extensive introduction to temples and shrines that enshrine deities of music and the performing arts, or are said to bring blessings for artistic pursuits.Not only the famous, large shrines and temples—if you look into their histories and anecdotes, you’ll find places across the country reputed to offer good fortune for the arts.Beyond the customary New Year’s visit, why not pay a visit when it really counts—before an important performance or audition?