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
Ryusenji (Ryūsen-ji)
The grave of Rentaro Taki, known for composing “The Moon over the Ruined Castle,” is located at Ryusen-ji Temple in Hiji, Oita Prefecture. His grave was originally at Manju-ji Temple in Oita City, but it was moved here in 2011. In addition to a bronze statue of Taki at the temple’s Ninomaru Hall, Hiji Town is still known as a place connected to him—for example, his music is broadcast over the town’s disaster-prevention loudspeakers as the hourly chime.
| Name | Ryusenji (Ryūsen-ji) |
| Address | 1856, Hiji-machi, Hayami District, Oita Prefecture |
| Website | https://hijinavi.com/hiji/rentaro-grave/ |
Michi-no-Eki Ashoro Galaxy Hall 21
At the roadside station in Ashoro, Hokkaido—Chiharu Matsuyama’s hometown—there’s an attached facility displaying items related to him. Exhibits include records he released in the past, autographs, and even guitars and stage costumes. It’s a great opportunity for fans, of course, and even for those who aren’t, to rediscover Matsuyama’s appeal. Outside the building, there is also a monument inscribed with the lyrics of his signature song, “Oozora to Daichi no Naka de” (Within the Vast Sky and the Earth).
| Name | Michi-no-Eki Ashoro Galaxy Hall 21 |
| Address | 1-21, Kita 1-jo, Ashoro-cho, Ashoro-gun, Hokkaido, Japan |
| Website | https://www.town.ashoro.hokkaido.jp/kanko/spot/spot-21.html |
Tsugaru Strait Winter Scenery Song Monument
There is a monument to the song “Tsugaru Strait—Winter Scene” right by Aomori Station, but the music-related power spot I especially recommend is the Tsugaru Strait Winter Scene Song Monument in Sotogahama. It’s set on a hill where you can actually look out over the Tsugaru Strait, with the vast ocean and the northern lands visible behind the monument. Press a button and the song plays, and listening to it while taking in the very scenery described in the lyrics is truly exceptional.
| Name | Tsugaru Strait Winter Scenery Song Monument |
| Address | Ryuhama, Aza Mimmaya, Sotogahama Town, Higashitsugaru District, Aomori Prefecture |
| Website | https://aomori-tourism.com/spot/detail_3481.html |
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 |