Even when we know cutting ties with certain relationships, habits or circumstances will be good for us, doing so can be difficult.
In Japan, people experiencing these mixed feelings can find help at Shinto shrines dedicated to the opposing, yet complementary forces of enkiri (severing connections) and enmusubi (forging connections). Offering prayers or completing rituals at these shrines makes the resolve to leave something behind and start anew tangible. They can also be places of quiet reflection around holidays such as Valentine’s Day, when relationships are on our minds.
For those experiencing a breakup, a career change or other life transitions, here is a quick guide to three recommended shrines in Tokyo, Kyoto and Shimane.
Tokyo: The legend of Enkiri Enoki
During Japan’s Edo period (1603-1868), Tokyo’s Itabashi ward was home to a post town, or rest stop on the Nakasendo Highway — a major road connecting Kyoto to Tokyo. For travelers departing Tokyo (called Edo back then), Itabashi was the first of over 60 post towns that they would encounter.
Local legends from the Edo period claim an enoki (hackberry tree) that once grew in this area held the power to sever relationships or connections to other forces such as diseases. Some records claim that Nakasendo travelers — particularly brides — took detours to avoid this tree. Others, however, sought its help to remove harmful influences from their lives and bring better fortune.
The original enoki tree is no longer standing, but part of it is preserved at a tiny shrine complex known as Enkiri Enoki. Visitors can pray at the site’s shrine building or write wishes on an ema (wooden prayer tablet) and hang it at the grounds. Ema can be purchased from an on-site vending machine, coming with a sticker to cover personal information and a netsuke (carved wooden tag) that can be taken home as a talisman.
The Itabashikanko (Itabashi Tourist) Center is also worth visiting. Another piece of the original enoki tree and information about the Nakasendo Highway is displayed here.
Enkiri Enoki and the tourist center are accessible in about 20-30 minutes from Otemachi subway station near JR Tokyo station. Take a train on the Mita Line to Itabashi-kuyakushomae station (closest to the tourist center) or Itabashihoncho station (closest to Enkiri Enoki).
Kyoto: Rituals at Yasui Konpiragu Shrine
One of the deities venerated at Kyoto’s Yasui Konpiragu Shrine is Emperor Sutoku — known in folklore as one of Japan’s most famous onryo (vengeful spirits). In 1156, Emperor Sutoku was defeated in a fight over imperial succession and exiled to what is now Kagawa Prefecture. Despite attempting to gain exoneration, he was never allowed to return to Kyoto. Legend says that after his death, the former emperor caused multiple misfortunes, which culminated in the imperial court losing power to the Kamakura shogunate in the late 1100s.
Today, it is said that at Yasui Konpiragu the former emperor can help free visitors from bad habits as well as circumstances preventing happy relationships. The shrine is also home to a “power stone,” a large boulder that is said to erase bad fortune and bring good to visitors who perform a special ritual.
First, pray at the main shrine building. Next, go to the boulder and buy a katashiro (paper charm) with an offering of at least ¥100. After writing a wish on this, crawl through the hole at the boulder’s base twice. Finally, paste the katashiro on the boulder. Yasui Konpiragu is a popular shrine, so anyone worried about performing this ritual correctly can watch others do it first. The shrine’s official website also has instructions in English.
Yasui Konpiragu Shrine is about 15-20 minutes from Kyoto station by bus. The shrine office is only open from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. but the grounds are open 24 hours. This makes it possible to avoid large crowds by visiting early in the morning or later at night.
Shimane: A separation ritual at Umi Shrine
Shimane Prefecture is a relatively uncrowded region on the Sea of Japan coast known for Izumo Taisha. Allegedly, Japan’s Shinto deities gather here annually to determine the connections people will make in the next year. Tourists often visit Izumo Taisha to pray for new relationships. A popular place to visit beforehand, however, is Umi Shrine — accessible via Unshu-Hirata station on the Ichibata Electric Railway.
Umi Shrine venerates 17 deities, including Kotosakano’o-no-Mikoto. According to one version of a legend, this deity was born when the creators of Japan’s islands, Izanagi and Izanami, parted ways at the entrance to the underworld. Because this deity came into being at this moment, Kotosakano’o-no-Mikoto is associated with separation and new beginnings.
Visitors to Umi Shrine can perform a ritual to separate from their own burdens. After praying at the main shrine building, buy an enkiri warifuda (wooden tie-cutting tablet) for ¥700. The front side of the tablet is for writing one’s name and something to leave behind. On the reverse side, write a wish for the future. Next, split the tablet, blow on the half with the burden written on it and drop that half in a box.
The last step of the ritual is walking around the shrine clockwise, stopping at a small building known as Enmusubi Shrine (recognizable by heart-shaped ema hung around it). After praying here, the tablet half that holds one’s name and wish can be taken home.
Instructions at the shrine (written in Japanese) and local guides at the Cotton Road Exchange Building (Cotton Road Communication Center) can guide visitors through this ritual (reservations required for guides).
Visiting shrines: Essential Travel Tips
When visiting these shrines, remember that they are places of worship. Every visitor is expected to follow basic etiquette. Also keep in mind that not all these shrines operate alike. Some have staffed offices that sell items like goshuin (calligraphy stamps), but smaller sites like Enkiri Enoki may not.
Whatever one’s reason for visiting, know that all are welcome at the shrines. Experiences such as leaving something behind and embarking on a new journey are universal. Shrines offer a space for reflection during such transitions.
© Japan Today
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