Shitaya Shrine Torii Gates

Jan 29

Afternoon view of a Tokyo urban neighborhood with a striking vermilion torii gate leading to a local Shinto shrine at the end of a street, set within a large intersection surrounded by office and apartment buildings, with a few pedestrians in view.

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Large Torii Gate Nestled Within the Urbanscape

下谷神社の大鳥居：町内の景観に溶け込む歴史の象徴

The large vermilion torii gate is one of two such gates marking the entrance to Shitaya-jinja—a local Shinto shrine with origins tracing back to the year 730, making it one of the oldest inari shrines in Tokyo. This rich historical legacy stands in stark contrast to the surrounding urban environment.

Today, two buildings, each over six stories high, occupy the street corners near the torii gate. The gate has likely stood here since the shrine's reconstruction in 1934, following its destruction in the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake.

The building on the western side of the torii is astonishingly close to the tip of the top lintel (the horizontal beam). My immediate thought was: how has the building avoided damaging the gate during Tokyo's frequent earthquakes?

The vermilion gate may appear slightly out of place amid the modern urbanscape, yet this juxtaposition feels quintessentially Tokyo—a city where centuries-old traditions coexist seamlessly with cutting-edge infrastructure.

Location: Shitaya Shrine, Taito-ku, Tokyo

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Timestamp: 14:23・2024/12/10
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Fujifilm X100V with 5% diffusion filter
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ISO 1000 for 1/250 sec. at ƒ/9
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Provia/Standard film simulation
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Afternoon view of a Tokyo urban neighborhood with a gingko tree and stone torii gate leading to a local Shinto shrine at the end of a street.

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Shinto Shrine Nestled Within the Urbanscape

下谷神社：町内の景観に溶け込む歴史の象徴

Shitaya-jinja—a local Shinto shrine with origins tracing back to the year 730, is one of the oldest inari shrines in Tokyo. This rich historical legacy stands in stark contrast to the surrounding urban environment.

Location: Shitaya Shrine, Taito-ku, Tokyo

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Timestamp: 14:32・2024/12/10
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Fujifilm X100V with 5% diffusion filter
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ISO 160 for 1/30 sec. at ƒ/10
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classic Chrome film simulation
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Shitaya Shrinetorii gateTaito WardTokyoJapanstreet photographyFujifilm X100Vpix4japan大鳥居下谷神社台東区東京ストリートスナップ

Daisei Iketani

Discover Japan’s hidden gems within a day’s drive from Tokyo. From city nightscapes to serene shrines, I capture their beauty and stories—often with my loyal border collie by my side. Explore Japan beyond the guidebooks!

Shitaya Shrine Torii Gates

Shitaya Shrine

Higashi-Ueno 5-Chome