I finally made my way to Miyagiken Gokoku Shrine (宮城縣護國神社)—my first visit to a Gokoku Shrine in the Tohoku region! Actually, I had been here once two years ago, but I didn’t have my goshuin book with me back then. So this time, I made a proper revisit. Since the shrine is located on the site of the former Sendai Castle on Mt. Aoba, getting there means hiking up quite a steep slope. As usual, I was panting by the time I arrived.
Visiting the shrine along with the Sendai Castle ruins made for a perfect two-in-one stop.
The nearest public transit option is the subway, with the closest station being International Center Station (国際センター駅). However, the subway runs infrequently, and it’s a 20-minute walk from the station. So if you’re coming from Sendai Station, walking the full 50 minutes might actually be more enjoyable—at least, that’s what I did. I love walking around the city!
From here, you climb another set of stairs to reach the main hall. Interestingly, the honden (main sanctuary) was formerly the Geguu “Kazahinomiya” of Ise Jingu shrine and was relocated here in 1953, making it the first such structure in Tohoku. This gives the shrine a special connection to Ise Jingu and a deep sense of pride.
The torii gate.
And here is the haiden (worship hall). The architecture follows the unique Shinmei-zukuri style. While it has been relocated as-is from Ise, the thatched roof has been replaced with copper roofing. This Gokoku Shrine enshrines the spirits of over 56,000 individuals from Miyagi Prefecture who died in service from the Meiji Restoration onward.
The vivid red on the grounds is especially striking.
These gourds hanging in large numbers are said to have the power to seal away bad energy. You can get one of these “evil-warding gourds” at the shrine office. Write your name on it, breathe into it to expel all the negative energy from your body, then seal it tightly and hang it up here.
They also offer intricate kirie (paper-cutting) goshuin stamp sheets in fold-out format, in addition to regular stamp sheets—both available as pre-written versions.
About
Name Miyagiken Gokoku Shrine (宮城縣護國神社)
URL Website, X (Twitter), Instagram
Admission Fee Free
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