Senjafuda stickers and suzu bells at the Namiyoke Inari Shrine, Tsukiji Fish Market, Tokyo
Namiyoke Inari Shrine (波除稲荷神社) is a Shinto shrine located in Tsukiji, Chūō, Tokyo. It is an Inari shrine that was built on the water's edge when this part of Tokyo (then Edo) was created from landfill after the Great Fire of Meireki in 1657. The name of the shrine literally means "protection from waves." After the Tsukiji fish market was established in its present location after the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake, the Namiyoke Inari Shrine became an unofficial guardian shrine for the marketplace and its traders. The courtyard of the shrine is dotted with various memorial plaques and carvings donated by trade groups in the marketplace. In the photo, there are 3 suzy (bells). These are round hollow Shinto bells that contains pellets that sound when shook. It is a ritual to shake the bells before prayers and is believed that the ringing calls out to the gods (kami), allowing one to acquire positive power and authority. Also, one can see stickers stuck onto the pillars. This is called Senjafuda. These stickers bear the name of the worshipper. It was originally made of wooden slates but have now been replaced by paper. They were first produced during the Heian Period.
Size: 3972px × 2653px
Location: 5-2 Tsukiji Chūō-ku, Tokyo Prefecture, Japan
Photo credit: © Moonie's World Photography / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: bells, central, fish, inari, japanese, market, metropolitan, namiyoke, place, red, ropes, senjafuda, shinto, shintoism, shrine, stickers, suzu, tokyo, tradition, tsukiji, white, wholesale, wooden, worship
