Apr 9, 2015 - 1 min read

A Tranquil Shrine at the Heart of Chiba

The shrine of spontaneity

By Eitetsu Terakado

Community writer

Ungyou komainu (guardian dog) on the left

Rabbits and the other animals of the oriental zodiac are featured prominently

Shrines usually aren’t a place of entertainment, but there are shrines that entertain the eyes and excite a person. Chiba Shrine in the city of Chiba is one of them. The entrance is bright red with golden edges. Once you've entered the gates, you’re welcomed by an even larger red building. The word "spontaneous" seems to describe the shrine perfectly. Inside, there are other mini shrines for almost every kind of luck you can wish for. The decorative rocks at the shrine are also notable, with one of them being shaped like a turtle.

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By Eitetsu Terakado

Community writer

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Elena Lisina 7 years ago

Beautiful place! I love Shinto jinja a lot.

Veronika Tomanova 11 years ago

Is it a cat in front of the temple? I mean that sculpture..

Tristan Scholze 11 years ago

The grey sculpture in the first photo is the same as the close-up one in the second. It's a kind of guardian dog, called a komainu. You'll see them often at entrances of shrines all over Japan. They don't quite look like normal dogs, do they?