The guardian deity was seated beside the approach to Suitengu Shrine stretched into the building

Guardian deity of Suitengu Shrine — Guardian deity in Suitengu

Suitengu Shrine, located in Nihonbashi Kaigaracho, is an urban-type Shinto shrine. I don't know if there is such a thing as an urban or a rural type of shrine, but the precincts of the shrine, which make effective use of the limited land in the middle of the city, are what I would call urban.

What makes it urban is that it is developed vertically rather than horizontally. The precincts at the intersection of Shin-Ohashi Dori and Suitengu Dori are unlikely to become wider horizontally no matter how hard they try. If that is the case, they seem to think that it should grow upward. It's like making a low-rise apartment building taller to increase its volume.

The stairway that leads into the building is the approach to the shrine, and the main shrine is on the second floor at the top of the stairs. The building at the top of the stairs is not just a building but also serves as a Zuishin-mon gate. It has a concrete wall that looks like a show window where the gods sit to keep evil things from entering the shrine.

In this way, the Suitengu shrine looks like it is built on a pedestal placed in the city. Personally, however, I find the height a bit insufficient. If it is going to develop vertically, I would like it to be higher and higher, like the Izumo Taisha Shrine of the past.

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