穴八幡宮 ANA HACHIMAN GU

(English follows the Japanese texts)

ちょっと時間を遡らないといけないのですが、昨年末穴八幡宮へ。穴八幡宮って全然知らなかったのですが、一昨年偶然が重なり知る事となり、ならば参拝してみるかと一昨年初めて伺いました。この神社は「一陽来復御守」が有名と聞き、行くならば「一陽来復御守」が頒布される１２月冬至の日から２月節分の日の間に行こうと、年末に参拝しました。

「一陽来復御守」はお金が過不足無く巡りますようにという御祈願をした御守です。自宅のリビングの恵方に一陽来復が向くように飾ります。（お財布に入れるバージョンの「一陽来復懐中御守」もあります。）

「一陽来復御守」はお祀りする日・時刻も決まっており、冬至(例年１２月２２日前後)、大晦日(１２月３１日)、節分(例年２月３日前後)の日付が次の日に変わる０：００丁度に限られています。

ちょっとした偶然で知ることになった穴八幡宮の「一陽来復御守」ですが、昨年の節分にお祀りし、色々と助けられたと実感したので、昨年末も今年のお守りをいただきに行った次第です。今年はお守り２種と共に黄色い福財布も購入。福財布は通帳や印鑑などを入れ、福を授かる袋です。持ち歩く物ではなく、引き出し等に入れて一年間お祀りします。

I have togo way back in time but last year in Dec, I made a visit to Ana Hachiman Gu. It’s a shrine in Tokyo which I didn’t know about it until several people was mentioning about it 2 yrs ago. Just out of a blue, several people was mentioning about it all in the same day and I though, hey? is this some sort of a coincident?? So, I decided to visit this shrine.

Ana Hachiman Gu is famous for it’s unique amulets which is called [Ichi-yo-raifuku-omamori]. These amulets are available from [winter solstice], which is the darkest day of the year, therefore from this day on, we are heading toward spring until the [first day of spring]. The dates available for this year was Dec 22 2022 until Feb 3 2023. (Next year will be also from Dec 22 to Feb 3 2024)

They are total of three version of this (see pict below) and all the amulet is to wish abundance to circulate in to us. The small ones are to be put in our wallet, the yellow sachet are to put in your bank account booklets and the cylindrical one is to be attached to the wall of your living room.

The one for the purse and the sachet can be used as soon as you get them but the one for the living room must be attached on the wall facing the direction written in the instruction given with the amulet. Also, the date and time to put the amulet up on the wall are specified !!! There are only three dates and it is Dec 22, Dec 31 or Feb 3. The time to put it up is on midnight 0:00 of the date mentioned, so that mean as soon as the clocks ticks to 0:00 and turns into the next day, you attach the amulet on the wall. ( I usually stand on a stool with the amulet on my hand and as soon as it’s 0:00, I stick it on the wall.lol) Anyway, this is the only shrine in Japan that have this kind of tradition, it is so unique and now that you know that this amulet exists you will start noticing a lot of shops and restaurant in Tokyo with this unique amulet stuck on its wall….(mostly old establishments though.)

Last Dec was my second visit to this shrine and I decided to visit again because I think it did help a bit. Year 2021 was a tough year for me and so was 2022. But then looking back, I manage navigated the year without going insane, I was supported here and there and they where many grateful moments. I don’t know if this amulet helped but it’s always great to think there is God on our back.

穴八幡宮は大混雑すると聞いていたので私は冬至、大晦日、節分はさけ、平日の朝の８時頃に穴八幡宮に到着する様に出かけます。毎年、ほぼ並ばずにすんなり買えます。2年続けて伺った穴八幡宮、毎年暮れの恒例行事になりそうです。自宅からのやや遠いのですが、お参り後は清々しい気持ちになります。

Ana Hachiman Gu is famous for its crowd. Do avoid winter solstice, the first day they give out the amulets and on weekends. I go on weekdays and make my visit as early as possible, usually at 8:00am. It takes 1 and a half hour to get there but the shrine itself feels good in the morning.

Also a small note for the sweet tooth, the Taiyaki, the fish shaped hotcake with sweeten azuki bean filling right across from the shrine’s main entrance is really good. (See pict below)