#the dowager duchess of the shitamachi has spoken

[todayintokyo]

Mushashi Mitake Jinja (武蔵御嶽神社) in the mountains of Okutama, western Tokyo, is known as a (rather rare) wolf shrine, but if you walk past the main building, you’ll find a sub-shrine with two pig guardians. That tiny building will attract a fair share of visitors in 2019, since it’s the year of the pig or wild boar according to Chinese astrology.

The shrine is 1200 years old, and the exact origin of the two statues isn’t clear. They don’t even match: one seems to be a domestic pig; the other one could be a wild boar, which is associated with mountain gods. 

Mount Mitake is highly recommended as a day trip from Tokyo. I prefer to hike from nearby Mitake Station, but you can also take a bus and cable car to the top of the mountain. Read more here.