Tsushima Shrine

It is said the God in this shrine offer protection to children and is only open 2 days in a year. Witnessing the ritual up close is quite a special experience. Without doubt you are expects to see a lot of parents carrying their kids running around the place. The atmosphere is something you don’t always feel it from other shrines in Japan.

On the second day of the year, August 4th and August 5th, you can cross the bridge and visit the island where the main shrine is located. As it is a shrine to the guardian deity of children, the main visitors are families with small children. In 2024, it falls on Sunday and Monday, and I visited around noon on Sunday, but there was a huge line of worshipers, and it took about 40 minutes to reach the bridge, and about 30 minutes to cross it. I did. It's extremely hot in the middle of summer, so it's essential to take precautions against heat stroke and sunburn during the day. I was very satisfied that I was able to visit because it was only open for two days a year and it felt very special, but it was also tiring due to the heat, the number of people, and the long time it took to get there.

Visited on August 4, 2024. It is a shrine that can only be visited two days a year. A bridge leading to the main shrine is built only during the summer festival held on August 4th and 5th every year. This year, I came because the 4th was a Sunday, a holiday. It was around 1pm, but I was guided to a temporary parking lot a little further away. After walking for about 10 minutes, we arrived at the entrance of the bridge. There was a long line, but it took about 20-30 minutes to get to the main shrine. After a thorough visit to the shrine, I returned to the bridge and went to the shrine office to receive a goshuin stamp that was only available during the summer annual festival. Tsushima Shrine has a history of being worshiped as a ``guardian deity for children,'' which is rare in Japan, and the majority of visitors were accompanied by children. The bridge to the main shrine is approximately 250 meters long, and there is no place to block the sun, so we highly recommend bringing a parasol.

The shrine is only open two days a year, and this year the 4th is Sunday, so I decided to visit. I heard that 100,000 people would come in two days, so I went there to arrive at 6am, and it was well worth the effort as there were not many people there. Since the shrine is only open for two days, it feels like the blessings are doubled. I also heard that the bridge that goes up to the shrine is called the Happiness Bridge and that walking it as a couple will bring happiness. The security guard and staff were nice. Thank you to Saito Construction for providing us with the parking lot 🙇 It looks like we can see fireworks on the night of the 4th 🎆

This is a small island with only the main shrine of Tsushima Shrine. Since it was Sunday afternoon, it was quite crowded and it took us an hour to get there. There are a variety of people, including those who pray and buy amulets, and those who just visit the shrine. You can see a spectacular view of the Seto Inland Sea from the back of the shrine. Children were playing in the sea along the coast of the island. Stay safe!