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.
- 1 min read
A Tranquil Shrine at the Heart of Chiba
The shrine of spontaneity

Community writer

Chiba Shrine South Gate

Ungyou komainu (guardian dog) on the left

Agyou komainu on the right

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

Main building

Close-up of the main building

The shrine's symbol

The chozuba, for purification

Drinkable water

The official Chiba Shrine

Power stones

Old fashioned bells

Turtle-shaped rock

Other mini shrines for different gods

The east gate

Flowers by the shrine

Powerful ungyou komainu here, too

More agyou komainu
Join the discussion
Elena Lisina
6 years ago
Beautiful place! I love Shinto jinja a lot.
Veronika Tomanova
10 years ago
Is it a cat in front of the temple? I mean that sculpture..
Tristan Scholze
10 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?
Iain Stanley
10 years ago
I never knew it existed!!
4 comments in total
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