Chingodo in Asakusa: a Shrine dedicated to Tanuki

Chingodō (鎮護堂) is a small Shinto shrine in Asakusa that is dedicated to Tanuki (狸), a small, furry animal that is a pillar of Japanese folklore, considered a sacred animal. Such is the reverence accorded to these animals that the shrine is sometimes called Otanuki-sama, (お狸様, Honorable Mr. Tanuki).

Tanuki are a small, short-legged animal that is sometimes compared to the North American raccoon. Although they are sometimes called “raccoon dogs,” they are more closely related to foxes than they are to raccoons or dogs. They are common in rural Japan, where 370,000 of them are killed by vehicles on highways each year.

Tanuki often appear in Japanese folktales as magical shape-shifting creatures. In Nihon Shoki, (日本書記 Chronicles of Japan) , a passage recounts that “in two months of spring, there are tanuki in the country of Mutsu who turn into humans and sing songs.”

Like foxes, tanuki are considered mischievous and love to trick people. But they are also considered happy and carefree creatures, who tend to get distracted. Currently, the expression tanuki-gao (狸顔, raccoon dog face) is used to refer to the expression on someone’s face who is trying to act innocent.

You may not see any tanuki in Tokyo today, but in the 19th century it was common to see them probably because there were more green spaces. There was a colony of these animals in Asakusa , however with the modernization of the neighborhood in the early Meiji period (1868-1912) they were gradually deprived of their burrows, until the only remaining colony was in Denbōin Garden (伝法院) , the official residence of the priest of the famous Sensōji.

A local tale says that this Sensōji priest did not like tanuki that lived in his garden. In the summer months, when his doors were open, they often entered his room, and the sight of their dirty footprints on his immaculate tatami mats infuriated him. But one night, the priest had a strange dream, in which a tanuki appeared before him and told him that if he built a shrine for the tanuki, they would protect his residence from fire and bring him prosperity forever, to which the priest agreed. the tanuki’s request, and in 1883, he built the Chingodō Shrine (the name means “guardian shrine”). He also deified the Denbōin tanuki as neighborhood guardian spirits.

Tanuki also kept his end of the bargain since, when various parts of Asakusa were destroyed by fire after the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, and again when Tokyo was bombed by American warplanes in 1945, both the priest’s residence and the tanuki shrine were left standing without burning.

These days, people still pray in Chingodō for protection from fire and also for the recovery of the things they have lost. Rakugo storytellers, kabuki actors, and other performers also go to the shrine to pray for success in the fickle world of show business.

Chingodō is open daily and admission is free. The shrine hardly passes as one of Asakusa ‘s top tourist spots, though it’s a laid-back spot and worth keeping in mind the next time you find yourself wandering around Asakusa .

The best way to travel within Japan is by train, very punctual and convenient, although it can be expensive. For an even better price, we recommend traveling with the Japan Railways universal pass called JR PASS , which you can purchase on their website. This pass is purchased before traveling to Japan , arriving at the airport or at any train station , you can pick up your pass with proof of purchase .