Introduction
Japan’s love for cats is well-documented, but the country has an equally soft spot for dogs.
Think of all its iconic canines: Hachiko, the loyal dog who waited for his master at Shibuya Station; Otousan, the beloved white Shiba who starred in so many Softbank advertisements; and Kabosu, the unwitting face of a million memes. Consider the popular dog cafes that have queues out the door, and all the pet owners besotted with their toy dogs, dressing them up and pushing them around in strollers. If that isn’t enough, remember that according to a 2023 survey, Japan is the only country in the world where pet cats and dogs (15.9 million) outnumber children under 15 (13.7 million).
Dogs have been cherished in Japan for centuries as hunting partners, companions, and subjects of art and literature. Some dogs were so valued for their spiritual qualities that during the Edo period, people who couldn’t obtain a permit or afford to go on a religious pilgrimage to Ise Grand Shrine would send an okage-inu, a dog who would undertake the journey to the far-off shrine on behalf of an individual. The journey from Edo to Ise alone might take a whole month, requiring the dog to rely on the kindness of strangers and priests to reach its destination.
It should come as no surprise, then, that there are shrines in Japan dedicated to these canine companions. Some of them are an outgrowth of Japanese wolf worship; it isn’t a huge mental leap to connect the worship of wolves to dogs. More than few of these dog shrines attract worshippers praying for safe childbirth and fertility-related blessings, since dogs have relatively uncomplicated pregnancies. Many women will visit shrines on the twelfth day of the month, which is ‘Day of the Dog’ as it is the twelfth animal of the Chinese Zodiac. For the same reason, these shrines also attract people born in the Year of the Dog.
The following shrines celebrate and venerate dogs in one form or another — and yes, most of these shrines also permit visitors to worship with their faithful companions. Depending on the shrine, they might even offer services specifically for pets.
Musashimitake Shrine, Tokyo
Located on top of Mount Mitake in Ome City, Tokyo, Musashimitake Shrine is the place to visit to pray for the health and safety of one’s pet dogs. The shrine supposedly dates back over 2,000 years ago to 91 BC, the seventh year of Emperor Sujin’s reign. At the time, the mountain itself was the primary object worship, as befitted Shugendo ascetic practices.
The wolf statues in the shrine’s treasure hall indicate that Musashimitake is connected with wolf worship, although it is likely that this was added on to the shrine’s purview at a later date — specifically after the arrival of Imperial Prince Yamato Takeru to this region around the year 150 CE. The story concerning Takeru is one of a number of folk tales involving ‘okuriookami,’ or ‘escort wolves’ that follow someone through the forest to ensure their safety.
According to the legend, Prince Takeru was travelling along the Ashigara Pass when he encountered a deer in the forest — some versions say he was resting, others say that he was eating dried rice when this happened. He sensed that this deer had not appeared by chance. Regardless of whether it was an evil spirit in disguise or whether it had simply been sent by a mountain kami to pester him, the prince decided to kill the deer. Picking up a piece of wild garlic left over from his meal, he flung it at the deer — or stabbed the deer with it, depending on the story — hitting it square in the eye and killing it.
A dense fog then appeared, causing the prince to lose his way. Fortunately for Prince Takeru, a large white wolf appeared and guided him to safety. Recognising the wolf as a deity of immense spiritual powers, the prince asked the wolf to stay and protect the area, giving it the title ‘Ookuchi no Magami.’ Somewhere along the way, this morphed into ‘Oinusama’ (literally, ‘Lord Dog’), who is worshipped at a number of shrines in the area including Musashimitake. Since dogs are basically domesticated wolves, the conflation probably wasn’t such a stretch of the imagination. After the tale of Takeru spread, people crossing the mountain apparently began rubbing themselves and their animals with garlic for safe passage.
Musashimitake Shrine is popular with dog lovers today, many of whom bring their beloved companions up the mountain to visit, and perhaps undergo a purification ritual. Not everyone can (or is willing to) hike up, so the cable car has a special section for pet owners where dogs may ride without a cage.
Oinusama at Kameido Tenjin, Tokyo
Kameido Tenjin Shrine near Tokyo Skytree is perhaps best known for its beautiful wisteria garden. Among the lesser shrines on its precincts, however, is a small stone dog blanketed in salt, simply known as ‘Oinusama.’
Sprinkling salt on Jizō statues is a fairly common practice; usually, one applies salt to the spot on the statue that corresponds to one’s own pain, or purifies the afflicted area with salt that has been offered to the statue. In some cases, one might even throw salt at the statue in the hopes that the Jizō will take the pain upon themselves.
The salt-covered ‘Oinusama’ seems to fall into a similar category, as there is a belief that rubbing salt on him will cure certain diseases or help wishes come true.
The origins of this little dog statue have been lost to time. Even the shrine priests profess not to know anything about it. One theory suggests that the statue may originally have been one of a pair of komainu (guardian lion-dog) statues in front of the subsidiary Mitake Shrine, with only one surviving the air raids of 1945 or the Great Kantō Earthquake of 1923. Over time, the theory goes, it came to be considered a minor deity deserving of a proper shrine.
Mitsumine Shrine, Saitama
Located in the mountains of Chichibu City, Mitsumine Shrine is one of the few shrines in the country known for its worship of wolves. It was reputedly founded around the first century by Prince Yamato Takeru, whom we’ve already met in an earlier story. Sadly, no wild garlic is involved in this particular tale.
According to the story, he had been traversing the mountains of Oku-Chichibu on his way back from war in the eastern provinces, and, struck by the beauty of the view from a ridge he climbed, dedicated the site to the deities Izanagi and Izanami. This site was where Mitsumine Shrine was eventually built, and thusly named by Emperor Keikō. A wolf reputedly served as his guide during his journey, and it was designated a divine messenger and attendant of Mitsumine Shrine, becoming part of ‘Oinusama’ worship across this part of Japan.
Before going extinct, Japanese wolves originally inhabited the Chichibu Mountains, along the upper reaches of the Arakawa River, which also accounts for the preponderance of local folk tales and legends about wolves in this region. Other shrines in the region where divine wolves are enshrined include Hōdōsan, Ryōgami, Ryūzu, and Jōmine. Some of them regularly carry out a ritual that involves offering sake-doused rice (alternatively red rice or rice with azuki beans) to Oinusama.
Despite the shrine’s cool lupine and canine connections, visitors have not been allowed to bring their dogs (or other pets) to Mitsumine Shrine since 2019. This is rather disappointing, so we’ve made a few suggestions at the end of the article for other shrines you can worship at with your pets.
Hōdōsan Shrine, Saitama
What is it with Prince Takeru and wolves? The founding of this shrine at Mount Hōdō in the Chichibu Mountains involves this legendary prince again, and seemingly during the same journey as before when returning from his campaign in the eastern provinces.
In this tale, the prince and his retinue were ascending the mountain to pay homage to the divine spirits. Finding a natural spring in the forest, they performed misogi, a form of ritual purification carried out by washing one’s entire body. They then continued their journey towards the summit, but soon began to feel that something was amiss.
Before long, they met with tremendous clouds of thick, black smoke billowing before them, which swiftly became a wall of flames. They had walked right into a mountain fire. Prince Takeru drew his sword, and the soldiers, following his lead, began cutting a swathe through the burning branches and grasses. But the flames only grew fiercer. Surrounded by flames, the prince and his contingent were unable to escape.
Just when all seemed lost, several black and white shadows appeared, plunging one after another into the flames. They were large black and white mountain dogs (wolves), and they ran through and around the raging inferno, eventually extinguishing the fire. The prince and his soldiers could only stand and gape, so lost in admiration at these splendid creatures that they had forgotten their former perilous circumstances.
The dogs then gathered before the men and began walking along the mountain path, as if to indicate that they should follow. Upon reaching the summit, the dogs vanished, like the mountain dew disappears with the sun. Prince Takeru understood that they must have been divine messengers. He enshrined three deities at this site — Emperor Jimmu, Oyamatsumi the mountain deity, Homusubi the fire deity — and named this mountain Hōdō-san, or ‘Fire-Stopping Mountain.’ According to Hōdōsan Shrine, this is the event that marks its founding.
Later, the monk Kūen built a thatched hut on Mount Hōdō and founded the Shingon Buddhist temple Gyokusenji around 1000 AD. Both temple and shrine coexisted in harmony (for the most part), and during the Edo period, the shrine operated under Gyokusenji’s aegis with the name ‘Hōdōsan Daigongen.’ The shinbutsu bunri policy introduced after the Meiji Restoration severed them into separate Shinto and Buddhist institutions; nevertheless, they continue to have a mutually supportive relationship today.
Zama Shrine, Kanagawa
On the grounds of Zama Shrine in Zama City is Inuneko Shrine, a small shrine dedicated to dogs, cats, and all pets. (Zama is such a great name for a place.) It was established in 2012 as an extension of sorts to the original shrine standing next to it — Silkworm Shrine, a small stone hokora dedicated to sericulture, and the protection of livestock from plague and disease. A stone statue of a dog stands on the right side of the approach to the shrine; on the left is one of a cat. Visitors can stroke their heads to aid in their wishes coming true.
Zama Shrine is thought to have been founded around 550 around a sacred spring water source. Visitors may take some of this water home if they bring their own bottle. It’s located on a hill behind a military base. You’ll have to climb 77 steps to get to the shrine; adjacent to it is Zama Park, from which you can take in the view of Mt. Oyama and the Tanzawa mountain range.
Happily for pet owners, visitors may bring their furry companions to the shrine — significant since pets aren’t allowed at many shrines. Zama Shrine is open to the public at all hours, and you’ll sometimes see people walking their dogs through the grounds. Some pet owners will even dress their cats and dogs in kimono and pay a visit to the shrine on special events like Shichi-Go-San or for the first shrine visit of the year.
Bonus: Pet Amulets and Purification Ceremonies
Because of their historical association with wolf worship, most of the shrines above are located in the mountains. For those who’d rather not make the trek out to far-flung mountaintop shrines with their pets, there are more urban shrines where pets can undergo purification rituals and owners can buy pet-specific amulets and votive tablets (ema).
In Saitama Prefecture, there’s the historic Asahi Hikawa Shrine over in Kawaguchi City, which allows visitors to worship with their pets — you’re likely to see many people with dogs, especially on the weekends. Advance booking is essential for pet purification rituals; the ceremony includes special amulets and treats for your pet. (Unfortunately, no treats for the human, as far as we’re aware.)
Over in Tokyo, pet owners can visit Ichigaya Kameoka Hachimangu to buy fortune slips for their dogs or cats. If you really want to spoil your beloved furry friend, you can order a custom-made wooden charm with their name carved into it, which the priest will then bless before posting it to you — all for the princely sum of ¥2,000-3,000.
Karuizawa is a pretty popular vacation spot for pet owners — you’re likely to see couples and families with larger dogs out there, too. No surprise, then, that Kumano Koutai Shrine not only welcomes worshippers and their pets, they also sell all kinds of little spiritual dog-themed paraphernalia, including paw print-shaped goshuin sheets — presumably for your dog’s own goshuin collection — that the dogs can, well, stamp with their own paws dipped in ink.
Written by Florentyna Leow