Minatogawa Shrine in Kobe

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Facts & Figures

The Minatogawa Shrine (Minatogawa-jinja) in Kobe is ideal for tourists and visitors looking to enjoy a peaceful and quiet Buddhist or Shinto experience without interruptions from the crowd of travelers. It was built at the same place where the Battle of Minatogawa occurred. Experience the Ultimate Japanese Hospitality at a Kobe Ryokan.
 Find Your Perfect Ryokan Now > Important cultural properties and treasures are displayed in the museum like Kusunoki Masashige's bellyband, calligraphies, paintings, swords and his hand-copied Buddhist sutras. The Minatogawa Shrine is part of Fifteen Shinto Shrines of the Kenmu Restoration. The place was designed and constructed to look like a classic Shinto shrine. The long walkway leads to the public Hall or Haiden and is surrounded by numerous stone lanterns or Toro, as well as the lion-dog statue (komainu) that guards the entrance of the shrine. The interior of the shrine contains a beautiful mix of traditional paper lanterns, which are also known as Chochin while the ceiling is decorated with panels of ancient artwork, which is hard to find even in the more popular shrines. The shinto shrine is also popular for wedding and shichi-go-san ceremonies.

• Minatogawa Shrine:
• Opening Hours - 9:30 am to 4:30 pm (Treasure Museum)
• Closed - on Thursdays
• Admission fee - 300 yen (Adults), 200 yen (High school and University students), 100 yen (Elementary and Junior High School students)

My tips for local activities

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History

The Minatogawa Shrine was built in 1872 by the order of the Meiji Emperor to commemorate the battle of Minatogawa. The Shinto shrine is dedicated to Kusunoki Masashige (1294-1336), a famous warrior, samurai and military commander in the 14th century.

Sightseeing spots

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Treasure Museum - many important cultural properties and treasures related to Kusunoki Masashige are on display

Festival & Events (dates can change without notice)

January

New Year Celebrations (1st - 3rd)
Minatogawa Shrine and Ikuta Shrine in Sannomiya are the most popular places to visit during the New Year Celebrations.

February

Setsubun Festival (3rd)
20000 bags of beans are scattered to the thousand of visitors of the shrine on the day. People believe that scattered beans bring good luck:)

May

Kobe Matsuri Festival (19th)
Enjoy stage dance performances and many parades at the Flower Road.