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If you are an acupuncturist and use “Shinkan (guide tube)” and “Kanshin Method” clinically, you must visit Ejima Sugiyama Shrine.
The reason is that “Shinkan” and “Kanshin Method” has been created by Waichi Sugiyama in the seventeenth century in Japan and Ejima Sugiyama Shrine enshrines him as the god of acupuncture and Traditional Japanese Medicine.
After working many years for the Tsunayoshi Tokugawa Shognate, Sugiyama Waichi was bestowed with a large land (about 8,925 square meters) and a town house called “One Eye Mansion.”
Waichi created a shrine to pray to Benzaiten at his own place. This magnificent shrine “Honjo One Eye Benten Shrine” (Note: Benten is a short name for Benzaiten) immediately became a noted place in Edo. Waichi’s story had gained a lot of respect from the common people of Edo. This shrine became a famous place and was even added to the famous topography book called “Edo Meisho Zu e” (translated as “The Geography Book of Edo’s Noted Historical Sites,” a famous compilation at the end of Edo era) and many people, even people from O-oku (“the big interior” a chamber of the Shogunate inner palace) visited by boat. This shrine is currently called “Ejima Sugiyama Shrine” is located in Ryogoku, Sumida-ku, Tokyo.
After Waichi passed away, his apprentices built a resting place for his spirit in Honjo One Eye Benten Shrine, and enshrined Waichi’s spirit as “Sokumyou-an Hermitage.” Then time changed, in 1871, To-Do-Za, a national support group among visually impaired men, was eventually abolished. Originally established in the 860s, Waichi had worked for the group. Then in 1890, Honjo One Eye Benten Shrine was renamed as “Ejima Shrine.” There was a “Sugiyama Shrine” which enshrined Waichi’s spirit, created within the Ejima Shrine premises.
In 1923, Great Kanto Earthquake destroyed both Shrine palaces. They were rebuilt, then destroyed again during World War II. In 1952, the palace was rebuilt again: this time, these two shrines were merged into one shrine. The shrine was named as “Ejima Sugiyama Shrine.”
Current Shrine represents two spirits: one is Waichi Sugiyama, and another one is called Ichikishimahime-no-mikoto. A goddess from Japanese mythology, identical to the Benzaizen who Waichi worshipped, which we explain in more detail later. The Mikoshi-ko (a storage for portable shrine) and offertory box are designed with the unique symbol of Ejima Sugiyama Shrine, which is a combination of ripples from Enoshima Island and the hollyhock-kamon (crest) which came from Tsunayoshi Tokugawa Shogunate.Ejima Sugiyama shrine’s uniqueness comes from what it enshrined - Ichikishimahime-no-mikoto, or Benzaiten and Sarasvatī are all known as beautiful water goddesses, and were worshipped for good fortune, wisdom and longevity.
On the other hand, Waichi Sugiyama is the spirit of Japanese traditional medicine. He was known for his impeccable achievement healing the disease of Tsunayoshi Tokugawa, the fifth Shogun, and worked as a personal doctor for him. Plus, he lived till 85, an exceptionally long life at that time.
Ejima Sugiyama shrine is the only one in the world to worship them together, so the benefit of it are numerous, relating to health, beauty and longevity, as well as good fortune and wisdom.
As Wachi Sugiyama was worshipped as the spirit of Japanese Shinkyu, many professional acupuncturists and students of eastern medicine visit the shrine to pray for advancing acupuncture skill, successful completion of Shinkyu education and also pray for passing the national board exam.
On the second floor of shrine, there is a material room with many exceptional historical writings, references and tools for Japanese Shinkyu being exhibited. For people who practice acupuncture or moxibustion, or enjoy Shinkyu, Ejima Sugiyama shrine and Sugiyama Waichi Memorial Hall are ‘must-see’ places.
As Wachi Sugiyama was worshipped as the spirit of Japanese Shinkyu, many professional acupuncturists and students of eastern medicine visit the shrine to pray for advancing acupuncture skill, successful completion of Shinkyu education and also pray for passing the national board exam.
On the second floor of shrine, there is a material room with many exceptional historical writings, references and tools for Japanese Shinkyu being exhibited. For people who practice acupuncture or moxibustion, or enjoy Shinkyu, Ejima Sugiyama shrine and Sugiyama Waichi Memorial Hall are ‘must-see’ places.
After working many years for the Tsunayoshi Tokugawa Shognate, Sugiyama Waichi was bestowed with a large land (about 8,925 square meters) and a town house called “One Eye Mansion.”
Waichi created a shrine to pray to Benzaiten at his own place. This magnificent shrine “Honjo One Eye Benten Shrine” (Note: Benten is a short name for Benzaiten) immediately became a noted place in Edo. Waichi’s story had gained a lot of respect from the common people of Edo. This shrine became a famous place and was even added to the famous topography book called “Edo Meisho Zu e” (translated as “The Geography Book of Edo’s Noted Historical Sites,” a famous compilation at the end of Edo era) and many people, even people from O-oku (“the big interior” a chamber of the Shogunate inner palace) visited by boat. This shrine is currently called “Ejima Sugiyama Shrine” is located in Ryogoku, Sumida-ku, Tokyo.
After Waichi passed away, his apprentices built a resting place for his spirit in Honjo One Eye Benten Shrine, and enshrined Waichi’s spirit as “Sokumyou-an Hermitage.” Then time changed, in 1871, To-Do-Za, a national support group among visually impaired men, was eventually abolished. Originally established in the 860s, Waichi had worked for the group. Then in 1890, Honjo One Eye Benten Shrine was renamed as “Ejima Shrine.” There was a “Sugiyama Shrine” which enshrined Waichi’s spirit, created within the Ejima Shrine premises.
In 1923, Great Kanto Earthquake destroyed both Shrine palaces. They were rebuilt, then destroyed again during World War II. In 1952, the palace was rebuilt again: this time, these two shrines were merged into one shrine. The shrine was named as “Ejima Sugiyama Shrine.”
Current Shrine represents two spirits: one is Waichi Sugiyama, and another one is called Ichikishimahime-no-mikoto. A goddess from Japanese mythology, identical to the Benzaizen who Waichi worshipped, which we explain in more detail later. The Mikoshi-ko (a storage for portable shrine) and offertory box are designed with the unique symbol of Ejima Sugiyama Shrine, which is a combination of ripples from Enoshima Island and the hollyhock-kamon (crest) which came from Tsunayoshi Tokugawa Shogunate.
In the newly built palace after the World War II, you can see the original palace built in 1693 through the drawing “One Eye Benten” by Shoun Yamamoto, a famous Japanese painter (1870 - 1965), which is shown when entering into the sanctum of the palace.
Within the precincts, there is “the cave” created in 1774 to show where Waichi stayed to obtain the revelation of Kanshin Method from the spirit of Benzaiten.
This cave is much smaller than the actual one in Enoshima Island, and there is a stone statue of Waichi in front of the T-junction inside the cave.
Waichi’s statue was worshipped with others, including the god Ugajin, and the three goddess of wealth called Munakata Three Goddesses, which will be explained later.
This cave was renovated in 1793 and was not affected by the Great Kanto Earthquake, but the World War II fire made a huge crack in the ceiling, so it was rebuilt with reinforced-concrete to protect from any hazards, and the height of the whole shrine became taller because of this change.
Within the cave, you can place a food offering to the white snake, which is known as a messenger for the Benzaiten God.
Within the shrine, close by the pond called Benten pond, there is a Benten statue created in 2014.
There is a small washing place where you can cleanse your coins and precious stones for the grace of Benzaiten Goddess.
Ejima Sugiyama Shrine grant precious stones for visitors called Mitamaishi in Japanese, they can be cleansed here to pray for long-lasting health and beauty, as the blessing of Benzaiten, as she has been a symbol of beauty (and other benefits) for many centuries.
In Japanese, precious stones are also symbols of beauty, hence they are together in the shrine. Also, cleansing your own coins here benefits economic fortune, as Benzaiten is also a symbol of economic fortune.
This hermitage was originally established to pray for Waichi’s spirit by his apprentices after Waichi passed away.
Later, the ruin was rebuilt in 1965, on the anniversary of Waichi’s death.
The monument was created in 1924 to commemorate the accomplishment of Waichi, as posthumous honors were conferred on him.
This is the only monument in the world with all its writing in braille.
The lifting stones are the large, heavy stones used for contests of strength and amusement, especially popular in the Edo era.
In Tokyo Sumida-ku, there are 37 lifting stones from this time around, and this lifting stone is the heaviest among them, weighing 348.75kg (about 769lb).
The stonehouse stored all Mikoshi (portable shrine) in town. In 1929, using contributions from the shrines supporters, it was re-built with concrete to be sturdier and more protected.
Then in 1945, during the biggest air raid of World War II, Benzaiten statue, hanging scrolls and biwa musical instruments were brought here to protect them from fire.
By this air raid, the main shrine was burned down, and the cave was partially destroyed, but this Mikoshiko survived.
The ginkgo tree on the side of the stonehouse became carbonized by this big fire, but the root was not dead.
The tree is still alive and fresh green leaves grow nowadays.
There is a previous biwa instrument stored in the shrine. Originally, the biwa was made by a famous biwa creator in Kyoto, and kept hidden in the castle of a high-ranking officer from 1789-1801.
The feudal lord looked after it, then the highest-ranking blind officer received it from the lord, and gave it to one of his apprentices in 1862 as appreciation for his great contribution.
It is said the biwa was historically held and sometimes played by high achieving blind officers.
In modern times, it was repaired in 2000 and 2016. When it was inspected in 2000, there was a record that it was repaired in 1823 and 1858.
Biwa is known to record its repair timing inside of the main body.
Honjo “One Eye” mansion used to hold two big celebrations every year, following the tradition of Kyoto.
During these occasions, biwa instrument was played.
This special biwa Sazanami was used for making beautiful music during such special occasions.
The musical scenes are illustrated in some Japanese literature from that time.
There is Sugiyama Waichi Memorial Hall in the corner of the shrine.
This hall was created in 2016 April to realize Waichi’s lifetime passion of “acupuncture treatment education and study school.”
This is led by the Public Incorporated Foundation of Kengyo Sugiyama Kenshokai (Honoring Association) to commemorate Waichi’s 400-year anniversary.
The two-floor building has a multi-purpose room on the first floor, and a material room to exhibit historical items on the second floor.
There is an eastern medical clinic called “Sugiyama Acupuncture and Anma Clinic” inside as well.
In the material room, there are historically important hanging scrolls such as Tunayoshi Shogunate’s “Dai-Benzaiten” and “Rokkasen” plus many exhibitions related to Waichi Sugiyama and his work, acupuncture and anma history in Japan, including more than 400 literatures, 40 acupuncture tools and a small acupuncture point mannequin actually used during and after the Edo era.
This second-floor material room was appointed by Sumida-ku, Tokyo as one of the collections of cultural items, literature and tools related to the history of the district.
| Address | 1-chōme-8-2 Chitose, Sumida City, Tokyo 130-0025 |
|---|---|
| TEL | +81-3-3863-1308 |
| Access | 7 min from West Exit at Ryogoku station (JR-line). 12 min from A4 Exit at Ryogoku station (Toei Ooedo-line). 12 min from A5 Exit at Morishita station (Toei Ooedo-line). There is no parking available at the Shrine. Please use public parking available, if you drive to the Shrine. |
| Address | 1-chōme-8-2 Chitose, Sumida City, Tokyo 130-0025 |