Hie Shrine: The Hilltop Shrine That Guarded Edo Castle

Save to My List My List

Researched guide · Checked on Nov 6, 2026

Climb to a shrine on a hill among the office towers of central Tokyo: Hie Shrine (Hie Jinja) in Akasaka once protected Edo Castle and the Tokugawa shoguns. It is free to visit and a short walk from Akasaka and the government district of Nagatacho.

About the shrine

The shrine enshrines Oyamakui-no-kami, the god of Mount Hie in Shiga. Its history goes back to the early Kamakura period. When Ota Dokan built Edo Castle in 1478, he placed a Sanno-Hie shrine inside the castle as its guardian, and the Tokugawa shoguns later honored it as the protector of Edo. The shrine moved to its present site in 1659. Its buildings were destroyed in the 1945 air raids, and the present ones were built in 1958.

What to see

• The red torii gates: GO TOKYO describes a staircase lined with red torii gates behind The Capitol Hotel Tokyu, and Japan’s national tourism site describes a tunnel of red torii at the west entrance.
• The sacred monkeys: the monkey (shin-en) is the messenger of the shrine’s god, and a pair of husband-and-wife monkey statues stands in the grounds. In Japanese, “en” can also mean a bond between people, so many visitors come to pray for love and marriage.
• Sanno Inari Shrine: a small shrine in the grounds. It was the only building that survived the 1945 air raids.
• The treasure hall: free, open 9:00–16:00. It holds 31 swords, including one National Treasure and 14 Important Cultural Properties. Its page lists no closed days, but the shrine’s FAQ lists Tuesdays and Fridays, and closures can change for shrine events, so check before you go. On November 30, 2026, the display changes and it opens only 13:30–16:00.
• The worship hall ceiling: 123 painted wooden panels of plants, animals and birds.

Sanno Matsuri

The Sanno Festival is held every year around June 15. Every two years, the Jinko Festival procession of portable shrines and hundreds of parishioners passes the Imperial Palace. In the Edo period it was one of the city’s greatest festivals. In 2026 the festival ran June 7–17 and was a big procession year, with the Jinko Festival on June 12. Check the official festival site for the next dates.

Visiting tips

• Hie Shrine is a Shinto shrine: wash your hands at the water basin, ring the bell, bow twice, clap twice and bow once. See our shrine and temple etiquette guide.
• The amulet and goshuin counter is open 8:00–16:00.
• Sanno Saryo, the shrine’s restaurant, serves lunch 11:00–15:00 and tea 15:00–17:00 (closed on irregular days).

How to get there

Station	Line	Walk
Akasaka (Exit 2)	Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line	About 3 min
Tameike-Sanno (Exit 7)	Tokyo Metro Ginza and Namboku lines	About 3 min
Kokkai-gijidomae (Exit 5)	Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line	About 5 min
Akasaka-mitsuke (Exit 11)	Tokyo Metro Ginza and Marunouchi lines	About 8 min

From Tokyo Station, take the Marunouchi Line to Akasaka-mitsuke (about 9 minutes), then walk about 5 minutes. Address: 2-10-5 Nagatacho, Chiyoda-ku. GO TOKYO lists an escalator and a wheelchair ramp among the facilities, if you would rather avoid the stairs. See our Akasaka guide for food and hotels nearby.

Planning which ones to visit? See eight temples and shrines side by side in temples and shrines in Tokyo.

FAQ