Standing at the base of the stone staircase, looking up toward Atago Shrine, can be intimidating. Atago Hill rises 26 metres above sea level, the highest natural point in Tokyo’s 23 wards, and atop this giant staircase waits one of the city’s hidden gems. Tokyo is replete with impressive shrines and temples, but this one, hidden above the rest, felt like a unique place to explore.
History of Atago Shrine
Atago Shrine was founded in 1603, on the order of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first Tokugawa shogun, as he established Edo as his seat of power. Over the centuries it was destroyed repeatedly by fire, earthquake and wartime bombing. The buildings that now rest on this spot date from 1958.
Climbing the Shusse no Ishidan
As you climb the 86 steps of the Shusse no Ishidan, the “Stairs of Success,” take a moment to look out over the city beginning to reveal itself. Atago Hill served as a fire watchtower in the Edo period, and the shrine was founded here to protect the city from fire. Although the view is now obscured by the tall buildings that have grown up around it, you can still imagine what that skyline once looked like.
Each step you ascend represents success in your life. Take a moment as you climb to reflect on the successes you are thankful for, or the ones you hope to develop. According to legend, a young samurai named Magaki Heikurō rode his horse all the way up the stone steps to deliver a plum-blossom branch to the third shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu. The horse is said to have made the steep ascent in about a minute, but it took 45 exhausted minutes to come back down. The shogun was impressed, the samurai was hailed as a great rider, and his career flourished.
The Shinto God of Fire
The principal god of Atago Shrine is, fittingly, the god of fire, Homusubi no Mikoto. Other gods worshipped here include Mizuhanome no Mikoto, god of water; Ōyamazumi no Mikoto, god of mountains; and Yamato Takeru no Mikoto, god of the military.
Atop this hill, you feel miles away from the city itself. The rustic, old-world feeling of the landscape and architecture lets you step back in time. Here stands the haiden, the worship hall where people come to offer their prayers.
The Cleansing Fountain, the Gate and the Koi Pond
Before you enter the shrine, you step up to the water fountain, where a dragon spouts water, to cleanse your hands, mouth and soul before stepping into the ethereal world.
The striking vermilion gate you enter through stands out against the surrounding greenery, its ornate design bearing the Tokugawa family crest, like a diamond in the rough.
Among the shrines lies a small, dark pond filled with koi. When visitors throw fish food into the water, the koi rise to the surface in a flurry, almost leaping out of the pond to claim the most food.
Before You Go
- Address: 1-5-3 Atago, Minato, Tokyo. Entry is free.
- Grounds: Open for prayer at any hour, with no regular closing day.
- Shrine office and shop: Usually 9:00–16:00 for charms and goshuin (some listings say 17:00). The shrine’s own site is Japanese only, so call 03-3431-0327 to confirm.
- New Year: Hours change and the shrine closes temporarily on 31 December. Expect long, orderly queues in early January.
- Getting there: About a five-minute walk from Kamiyacho Station or Toranomon Hills Station (Hibiya Line), or eight minutes from Toranomon Station (Ginza Line).
- The climb: The Shusse no Ishidan has 86 steep steps. Gentler steps run alongside it, and an elevator on the east side of the Atago Tunnel serves visitors who prefer to avoid stairs.
- Driving: A small car park (five spaces) is open to visitors 9:00–16:00, and closed over New Year.
- Best timing: Go early in the morning for quiet. Weekends, holidays and early January afternoons are the busiest. Wear shoes with good grip.
- Seasonal highlights: Plum blossoms in late winter, the Sennichi Mairi and Hōzuki festival in late June, and the Atagoyama festival in late September, when lanterns line the steps.
The base of those stone steps may look intimidating, but at the top, the city feels miles away. Despite the long walk up the steep staircase, this is one of the most special shrines in all of Tokyo, and worth the effort. Perhaps you will be rewarded for your effort just as the legendary rider was.
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