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Kanahebisui Shrine

金蛇水神社 | Kanahebisui Shrine

A shrine said to bring worshippers wealth

Photo by Roger Smith

Photo by Roger Smith

Photo by Roger Smith

Photo by Wesley Keppel-Henry

  • Kanahebisui Shrine offers visitors a chance to flirt with fortune. Its main attraction is the row of jamon stones with snake patterns on them right outside the temple’s main building. People line up to rub each stone, a ritual said to bring wealth, luck, and healing. In Japan, snakes and dragons are associated with wealth and are seen as embodiments of the benevolent water god, hence the name Kanahebisui (lit. “Gold, Snake, Water”). The shrine grounds are also home to a sprawling, 300+ year old wisteria tree growing by a small pond. The shrine celebrates the blooming of the wisteria with an annual flower festival held mid-May.

    The shrine also recently added a relaxation area called Sando Terrace which, in addition to a spacious open-air deck, features a cafe and shop. The shop sells sleek, design-conscious Shinto accoutrements, plus goods made by Miyagi artisans like Kuriya and Watalis. From the deck, you can gaze out at the shrine’s peony and rock gardens, to the hydrangea-covered hill beyond.

    WEBSITEhttp://kanahebi.cdx.jp/

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Details

ADDRESS

Suishin 7, Miiroyoshi, Iwanuma, Miyagi 989-2464

ACCESS BY PUBLIC TRANSIT

By bus or on foot from Iwanuma Station (Tohoku Line, Joban Line). On weekends during the shrine’s May festival, a limited-time shuttle bus runs between the shrine and station.

On foot: A 40-minute walk

By bus: A 15-minute ride, followed by a 10-minute walk. At the Iwanuma Station West Exit bus stop (駅西口), board a Daishi Line (大師線) bound for Daishi (大師), or a Tozai Junkan Line Omawari Course (東西循環線大回コース) loop bus. Alight at Hanatopia-mae (ハナトピア前) bus stop. Bus maps and timetables here (Daishi Line) and here (Tozai Junkan Line).

ADMISSION

Usually free, but ¥200 during the flower festival

CREDIT CARDS

Not accepted

LANGUAGES

Japanese only

HANDICAP ACCESSIBLE

No

HOURS

Always open

CLOSED DAYS

None

PHONE

0223-22-2672

Information for Agencies

PARKING

Yes, 75 cars

BUS PARKING

Yes, 20 buses

FACILITY CONTACT PHONE

0223-22-2672

FACILITY CONTACT FAX

0223-22-2603

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