金蛇水神社 / Kanahebisui Shrine
Pray to good luck snakes for wealth
Photo by Roger Smith
Photo by Roger Smith
Photo by Roger Smith
Photo by Wesley Keppel-Henry
Kanahebisui Shrine offers visitors a chance to flirt with fortune. Its main attraction is the row of jamon stones with snake patterns on them right outside the temple's main building. People line up to rub each stone, a ritual said to bring wealth, luck, and healing. In Japan, snakes and dragons are associated with wealth and are seen as embodiments of the benevolent water god, hence the name Kanahebisui (lit. "Gold, Snake, Water"). The shrine grounds are also home to a sprawling, 300+ year old wisteria tree growing by a small pond. The shrine celebrates the blooming of the wisteria with an annual flower festival held mid-May.
The shrine also recently added a relaxation area called Sando Terrace which, in addition to a spacious open-air deck, features a cafe and shop. The shop sells sleek, design-conscious Shinto accoutrements, plus goods made by Miyagi artisans like Kuriya and Watalis. From the deck, you can gaze out at the shrine’s peony and rock gardens, to the hydrangea-covered hill beyond.
Last Update
December 1, 2022
Area Sendai
ADDRESS
Suishin 7, Miiroyoshi, Iwanuma, Miyagi 989-2464
ACCESS BY PUBLIC TRANSIT
By bus or on foot from Iwanuma Station (Tohoku Line, Joban Line). On weekends during the shrine’s May festival, a limited-time shuttle bus runs between the shrine and station.
On foot: A 40-minute walk
By bus: A 15-minute ride, followed by a 10-minute walk. At the Iwanuma Station West Exit bus stop (駅西口), board a Daishi Line (大師線) bound for Daishi (大師), or a Byoudou Miiroyoshi Line Omawari Course (平等三色吉方面循環) loop bus. Alight at Hanatopia-mae (ハナトピア前) bus stop. Bus maps and timetables here (Daishi Line) and here (Byoudou Miroyoshi Line).
ADMISSION
Usually free, but ¥200 during the flower festival
CREDIT CARDS
Not accepted
LANGUAGES
Japanese only
HANDICAP ACCESSIBLE
No
HOURS
Always open
CLOSED DAYS
None
PHONE
0223-22-2672
OFFICIAL URL
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