Namiyoke Shrine 波除神社

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

This is Namiyoke Shrine in Tsukiji. Its name literally means 'protection from waves,' which makes sense because Tsukiji was once a marshy river delta that was reclaimed during the Edo period (1603–1867). You may know Tsukiji as the home of the famous fish market, which operated from 1935 until it relocated to Toyosu in 2018.

The shrine has two wooden sculptures, both of which are over 2 meters tall. One is the head of a female lion (1st photo). You can tell it's female because the teeth are black, which is a Japanese tradition practiced mainly by married women before the mid-19th century. The goddess of eloquence, Benzaiten, is enshrined inside it. The other is the head of a male lion (2nd photo). Namiyoke Shrine is small and not very famous, but I love it for its coziness.

Female lion　雌獅子

Male lion　雄獅子

Namiyoke shrine

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築地の波除神社と言えば、お歯黒獅子（雌獅子）と雄の大獅子（2枚目）。両方とも2メートルを超える大きさです。雌獅子の中には弁財天の神像が納められているそうです。小さいけど大好きな神社です。築地に行ったら是非寄ってみてくださいね。

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