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.

Temple

Ryuanji Temple

http://www.ryuanji.org

Taki Anji Temple, famous as the first temple in Japan to introduce the lottery’s origin known as the “tomi-kuji,” is also known as a temple of the performing arts because it enshrines Benzaiten. It is said that people involved in the performing arts, including kabuki, often visit.

Name	Ryuanji Temple
Address	2-23, Minoh Park, Minoh City, Osaka Prefecture
Website	https://www.ryuanji.org/

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Jurin-ji Temple

ja.kyoto.travel

Jurin-ji Temple, commonly known as Narihiradera due to the legend that the Heian-period poet Ariwara no Narihira lived here, is located in Oharano, Nishikyo Ward. Inspired by Narihira, the temple is revered for improving artistic skills and for matchmaking. On May 28, the anniversary of Narihira’s death, it holds the Narihira-ki Sangen Hoyo, a Buddhist liturgy of shomyo chanting performed while playing the shamisen.

Name	Jurin-ji Temple
Address	481, Oshio-cho, Oharano, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto-fu
Website	https://ja.kyoto.travel/tourism/single01.php?category_id=7&tourism_id=318

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Seigan-ji (Seiganji)

http://www.fukakusa.or.jp

An old temple in Kyoto’s downtown, dating back to the Nara period, is famous for the Noh chant “Seiganji,” traditionally attributed to Zeami. In this chant, Izumi Shikibu appears as a bodhisattva of song and dance, which led performers—especially dancers—and others in the entertainment world to revere the temple. It is also known for the custom of dedicating fans used in performance as a prayer for improvement in the performing arts.

Name	Seigan-ji (Seiganji)
Address	453, Shinkyogoku Sakurano-cho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto Prefecture
Website	http://www.fukakusa.or.jp/

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Akishino-dera Temple

narashikanko.or.jp

Akishino-dera is a temple founded in the Nara period. The Gigeiten enshrined in the main hall, designated as an Important Cultural Property, is known as the deity of various performing and fine arts and is revered by those in the entertainment world and artists. The Gigeiten of Akishino-dera is also renowned for its extraordinary beauty, so when you visit to seek blessings for the arts, be sure to take the time to appreciate its exquisite form.

Name	Akishino-dera Temple
Address	757 Akishino-cho, Nara City, Nara Prefecture
Website	https://narashikanko.or.jp/spot/temple/akishinodera/

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Kairyū-ji (Kairyu-ji)

shichibutsu.jp

Kairyū-ji Temple, counted as one of the Onomichi Seven Buddha Pilgrimage sites, has the grave of a Bunraku puppetry family. Because of this association, it is said to grant blessings for improving artistic skills. It’s believed that your wishes will be fulfilled by praying while gently stroking the sutra mound there, making it an ideal place to pray for progress in the performing arts.

Name	Kairyū-ji (Kairyu-ji)
Address	22-8 Higashikubo-cho, Onomichi-shi, Hiroshima-ken
Website	https://shichibutsu.jp/temple/kairyuji.php

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power spot

Soya Misaki Music Monument

Cape Soya, the northernmost point of Hokkaido’s main island, is also known as a spiritual power spot. About 50 meters east of the well-known Monument of Japan’s Northernmost Point—often seen in photos and videos—you’ll find the Soya Cape Music Monument. The stone monument is engraved with the lyrics and musical score of “Soya Misaki,” a song released in 1972 by Mari Kuroki, and pressing a button will play the tune. Listening to this song while taking in the scenery at the nation’s northernmost tip will resonate all the more deeply with you.

Name	Soya Misaki Music Monument
Address	Cape Soya 3, Wakkanai City, Hokkaido

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Zoshigaya Cemetery

http://www.tokyo-park.or.jp

Zoshigaya Cemetery in Toshima, Tokyo is known for having the graves of many notable figures, including the novelist Natsume Soseki. Among those connected to music, the cemetery also contains the graves of composer Taku Izumi and lyricist Hachiro Sato. Izumi created numerous popular songs and musicals, while Sato wrote many children’s songs and popular tunes. The cemetery’s distributed guide map includes information on the graves of famous people, so please take a look.

Name	Zoshigaya Cemetery
Address	Minamiikebukuro 4-chome, Toshima City, Tokyo
Website	https://www.tokyo-park.or.jp/reien/zoshigaya/index.html

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