Tour the rich treasures and history of a shrine founded by immigrant samurai
2 hour private experience
Location: Kushiro City, Hokkaido
Offered in Japanese, with a friendly Deeper Japan guide interpreting in your language
A minimum of 2 guests is required to book. Solo participants are welcome but will be charged the 2-person rate
Meet the master
What you’ll do
Led by the guji, the shrine's highest-ranking priest, tour halls of priceless art and historical treasures. As you wander the halls of the shrine, learn more about the Ikeda clan who immigrated from Tottori Prefecture to Kushiro, and the history of the city itself. Discover more about Japan's indigenous religion in this local shrine with widespread roots.
Who can attend
Children must be 10+
Availability
Everyday
Session 1 (10:00 - 12:00)
Unavailable every September 13th, 14th and 15th.
Access
20 minutes by car from Kushiro Airport.
A Shrine Descending from Samurai
The connection between a thousand-year-old katana blade, glittering golden folding screens decorated with calligraphy, and a rare color illustration of shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu is the legacy of the Ikeda family and the thriving connection to Tottori Prefecture that still flourishes centuries after the samurai clan migrated from the southern prefecture to the northern shores of Kushiro. More than 140 years in the past at the start of Japan's Meiji Period, these samurai families packed their families and their resources onto formidable boats, sailing from their home in Tottori to the awe-inspiring, yet arduous, Hokkaido frontier. Their heritage lives on, not only in the sheer mass of artifacts passed down for countless generations, but also in the very structure of Kushiro city itself, as the immigrants' first actions were to build a school to carry on the samurai values, and a Shinto shrine to house their diety carried all the way from their far-off home in Tottori. On an immersive tour led by the shrine's head priest, dive deeper into Japan's Indigenous religion, Shintoism, while learning more about the history of Kushiro and the city's connection with these noble samurai ancestors.
Cancellation Policy
Please make your booking at least 7 days in advance. See cancellation policy here.
A detailed itinerary will be emailed to you once your booking has been confirmed.
