Two women were paying their respects enthusiastically at Youn-ji Temple in Yotsuya, a temple dedicated to Oiwa-san, who is well-known in the Yotsuya Ghost Stories of Tokaido. However, the history of the temple is not very old. The temple was built in the early Showa period (early 20th century) on a site associated with Oiwa-san. It is a temple that enshrines Oiwa-san, whose image is limited to counting plates, as a god of marriage and divorce.
It seems a bit of a leap to enshrine Oiwa-san, who was slaughtered by her husband, as a god of divorce, but not as a god of matchmaking. Faith can turn even the simplest of things into something of great value. The two women in the photo were praying earnestly, although I could not tell whether they were praying for a matchmaker or a breakup.
What is clear is that if the temple is beneficial for love relationships, people will come to the temple without a pause. To put it in a condescending way, there is no doubt that it is good for money. The buildings erected at the Yangun Temple were also beautiful and magnificent.
Nov 2015 PEOPLE TOKYO | |
BACK SHOT CHINESE CHARACTER GONG LANTERN TEMPLE WORSHIPER YOTSUYA |
No
9547
Shooting Date
Sep 2015
Posted On
November 2, 2015
Modified On
October 3, 2023
Place
Yotsuya, Tokyo
Genre
Street Photography
Camera
SIGMA DP2 MERRILL