The kami are everywhere around us; most temples and shrines are sufficient for general good health prayers. But for people who prefer being as specific as possible with their wishes, it’s best to hedge one’s bets by going to the right shrine for one’s ailments. (These are likely the same people who read the terms and conditions when the genie says you get three wishes.)
The following Shinto shrines in Japan (and one bonus temple) deal with particular aspects of the human body. Whether you need help with your hair, head, or hands, one of these places might be able to grant your wish. As long as you’re not wishing for more wishes.
Hair
Bad hair days are as inevitable as death and taxes. Who among us is truly exempt from them? If you suffer from alopecia (hair loss), dandruff, thinning hair, receding hairlines, bald patches, or an unusually high frequency of bad hair days, consider a visit to Mikami Shrine in Arashiyama, Kyoto. People with hair woes make the pilgrimage to Mikami Shrine to pray to a sacred ‘hair mound,’ as do barbers, hair stylists, wig-makers, and those in beauty-related professions. One can also pick up omamori (lucky amulets) shaped like scissors and combs.
Established in 1961, this is a relatively new shrine dedicated to hair. (It claims to be Japan’s only such shrine.) Mikami Shrine deifies Fujiwara Umenosuke Masayuki, a government-appointed hair stylist who is perceived as the first hairdresser in Japan. He first took up his scissors on 17 December 1268, and passed away on 17 July 1335; today, many Japanese hairdressers take the 17th of each month off in remembrance.
Nevertheless, Mikami Shrine isn’t the only place you can pray away your hair woes. Seki Shrine, a small sub-shrine on the grounds of Ōji Shrine in Kita Ward, Tokyo, is dedicated to Heian period poet Lord Semimaru, who is regarded as the deity of hair. His claim to such is having developed a hairpiece to tame his sister Sakagami’s hair, which famously grew “towards the sky.”
The main shrine associated with him is Seki Semimaru Shrine in Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture. However, Seki Shrine in Tokyo was founded during the Edo period by a group of wig-makers and admirers of Lord Semimaru, and while it was destroyed by fire in 1945, it was rebuilt in 1961 by an association of people in the hair industry.
Teeth and dental health
Brace yourself for a visit to Japan’s only shrine dedicated to teeth and dental health. Ha Shrine near HEP FIVE in Umeda, Osaka, is a rather nondescript little structure with a curious history. The shrine once enshrined a large boulder that effectively prevented the Umeda area from being submerged during a particularly heavy flood when the Yoda River overflowed its banks. How does a shrine with a giant stone become associated with dental health? This large boulder held the waters back, and the expression for ‘holding back’ or ‘curbing’ in Japanese, 歯止め, literally translates to ‘tooth-stop.’ It wasn’t long before people also began offering prayers for their dental issues, in addition to warding off impending disasters.
Ha Shrine is an auxiliary shrine to Tsunashiki Tenjin Shrine, which is located a 5-minute walk away. Ukanomitama, the deity of food and agriculture, is enshrined here. But even a small shrine like this has its own festival. Held on 4 June, the festival celebrates toothbrushes, and also shares a date with Cavity Prevention Day as specified by the Japan Dental Association. The first 100 people to visit the shrine get a free toothbrush donated by a toothbrush manufacturer! The shrine even has its own maxim: 歯磨きは己の心磨き, or ‘brushing one’s teeth is polishing one’s heart.’
Besides those suffering from dental problems, would-be dentists and anyone working with toothpaste, toothbrushes, and oral care products should put this on their Osaka visit list.
Head
Do you yearn for wisdom, knowledge, top marks in your exams, peace of mind, or freedom from head-related injuries and illnesses? Head over to Koubenomiyayomo Shrine in Watarai, Mie Prefecture. This shrine is (supposedly) the only one in Japan dedicated solely to the head — or as the shrine website specifies, for matters “above the neck.”
Dating back to 1191, the shrine deifies the spirit of one Lord Karahashi Chujo Mitsumori, who is said to have dwelled in a castle along the nearby Karako River. The shrine’s origin story takes place one day after this lord had passed away. A group of children were playing in the river — which flows through the present shrine grounds — when they saw a skull floating downstream. They picked it up and began to play with it. An old man from the village who was passing by declared the skull to be unclean, and made the children throw it away, sending them back to their homes.
Shortly after, he began shouting as if possessed: “I am Lord Karahashi Chujo Mitsumori. I was enjoying myself while playing with the children, but you came and humiliated me, and put an end to my fun. Enshrine and worship this skull of mine, and I shall curb your madness, bestow happiness to all, and offer eternal protection.” The frightened villagers pleaded forgiveness for the old man’s insolence, and built a shrine according to this proclamation — so goes the story of Koubenomiyayomo Shrine’s founding.
The shrine notes that modern society is ‘the age of the head’ — an apt summary of the increasing importance placed on white-collar work, and work that requires us to use our minds. Will praying here help us retain our critical thinking skills in the age of AI? There’s only one way to find out.
Beauty
Kawai Shrine in Shimogamo Shrine, Kyoto, is the place to seek inner and outer beauty. It enshrines Tamayorihime no Mikoto, the mother of Emperor Jimmu, who was reputedly as ‘beautiful as a jewel.’ (No statues of her, sadly.) She has been revered here as the goddess of beauty and the protector of women for over a millennia. Precisely how long is unclear, but the first written record of Kawai Shrine appears in 792, and since 927, it has been considered the nation’s top shrine for beauty. Kawai Shrine also houses a replica of the Hojo hermitage to the north of its main building, where the great essayist Kano no Chomei spent his twilight years. He was the son of one of the priests at Kawai Shrine — hence the connection.
The point of visiting Kawai Shrine is to purchase and decorate a kagami ema, a votive tablet shaped like a hand mirror. Using the crayons and pencils provided (or your own makeup tools), decorate it with a face that represents an ideal image of yourself, and write your wish on the back. The ema is unlikely to bring about a miraculous glow-up, but rather encourages you to reflect and work on your own outer and inner beauty. The quince drink they sell at the shrine shop, on the other hand, is explicitly meant for beautiful skin.
For a bonus (external) beauty boost, visit Utsukushii Gozensha, a small shrine on the grounds of Yasaka Shrine, Kyoto, popular with the local maiko and geisha. ‘Utsukushii’ means ‘beautiful,’ and true to the name, a trio of sister goddesses are supposedly enshrined here. As you perform the customary hand-washing ritual before praying at the shrine, pat a few drops of the water onto your face to beautify your face and body. (A little magical thinking goes a long way with this magical water.) The shrine advises against drinking this spring water, so it might be best not to ask too many questions about what’s in it.
Hands
Ōte Shrine in Ashikaga City, Tochigi, is a handy one to have in your back pocket. Its name translates to ‘Big Hand Shrine,’ and as the name suggests, this is the place to seek divine help when it comes to healing tendonitis and carpal tunnel, as well as improving other skills that require manual dexterity. The primary deity enshrined here is Ame-no-tajikarao, the kami of physical strength; he’s also associated with various sports-related shrines. The second deity worshipped here is Heian period provincial magnate and samurai Taira no Masakado, and the story associated with him is what gave rise to the shrine’s name.
The Tengyō Disturbance (939-940) was a brief 59-day conflict wherein Taira no Masakado led a rebellion against the central government, and was eventually defeated by aristocrat-warrior Fujiwara no Hidesato, who then took his head to the capital. Here's where local legend takes a more apocryphal turn: his head, neck, chest, arms, and legs were dismembered and scattered to the winds, landing in various different locations. Ōte Shrine supposedly stands where his hands (arms) landed.
Geography alone casts doubt on the story. Taira no Masakado was slain during the Battle of Kojima which took place in Shimōsa Province; this province covers some areas of present-day Chiba, Ibaraki, Saitama and Tokyo Prefectures — not Tochigi. Perhaps someone had disposed of his hands in the area afterwards.
A fun pastime at shrines is to read wishes written on the back of the votive tablets, and it’s no different at Ōte Shrine. Naturally, the ema here are decorated with illustrations of hands. Visitors have expressed desires to improve their handwriting, strengthen their hands, become a better pianist or painter, cure their hand ailments, and so on. Quite a few seek help in improving their calligraphy or handicrafts.
Legs
There are a surprising number of leg and lower-body-related shrines across Japan, which we’ve covered in our article on sports-related shrines. The three major cities — Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka — have at least one each, but if you have to choose just one, Hattori Tenjingu in Osaka might be your best bet. Besides selling foot amulets (which you should apparently tie to your shoelaces), they hold the annual Foot Festival in autumn, complete with many “foot-friendly experiences and events” (their words, not ours) including running and walking events; in spring, they host the Shoe Festival where you can buy shoes, join dance events, and “purify your shoes with gratitude.”
Written by Florentyna Leow