Nagoya, Japan Shrine Visit Report 2026 Showa No.6 Kawahara Jinja

February 1, 2026

Kawahara Jinja (Nagoya, Showa Ward) — Shrine Visit Report, Japan

I visited Kawahara Jinja in Showa Ward, Nagoya, on 2026-01-27. The shrine grounds are centered around Benten Pond, and there are many stone features—stone lanterns, Inari fox statues, and komainu guardian dogs—so the more you walk, the more photo subjects you find. Because there are so many scenes worth photographing, this article includes a larger number of photos than usual.

Highlights

Benten Pond: Water, stonework, and vermilion elements come together easily in a single frame.
Stone Features: Stone lanterns, komainu, chozu basins, stone steps, and stone arrangements are scattered throughout the grounds.
Inari Shrine Area: Vermilion torii and fox statues create a strong contrast between red and stone.

Benten Pond

Kawahara Jinja - scenery around Benten Pond — A central photography area where the mood changes simply by shifting your angle.

The first thing that catches your eye on the grounds is Benten Pond. The water surface, stone embankment, and vermilion accents often appear together in a single shot, and the atmosphere changes just by adjusting your viewpoint. The pond was refurbished in 2003 (with restoration of the stone embankment), which helped shape the current landscape. I was told the pond is drained and cleaned about once every 20 years. In 2003, more than 350 turtles were reportedly found. Because turtles are regarded as divine messengers, they were returned to the pond after the cleaning. The pond was also drained and cleaned again in 2023.

Entrance and Approach

Kawahara Jinja - entrance — Entrance to Kawahara Jinja.

Kawahara Jinja - approach path with Benten Pond on the left — The approach path, with Benten Pond on the left.

Kawahara Jinja - stone lantern near the entrance with bilingual guidance — A stone lantern near the entrance. There is guidance in both Japanese and English.

Stone Lanterns

The grounds contain many stone features, including stone lanterns, komainu, and chozu basins. They work well in wide shots as part of the landscape, and they also hold up in close-ups where you can capture the character of the roof, light box, and base.

Kawahara Jinja - stone lantern among greenery — A stone lantern. Pairing it with the surrounding greenery brings out the atmosphere of the grounds.

Kawahara Jinja - stone lantern showing shadows on roof and light box — A stone lantern. The light box and roof show strong highlights and shadows.

Kawahara Jinja - stone lanterns in the surrounding scenery — Stone features are scattered throughout, so there’s no break in photo opportunities.

Kawahara Jinja - stone lantern with a Japanese garden-like feel — A Japanese garden-like feel.

Kawahara Jinja - stone lantern silhouette from a different angle — A stone lantern. Its outline changes depending on the viewing angle.

Kawahara Jinja - stone lantern near a small shrine — A stone lantern. This angle shows its position relative to a small shrine.

Stone Komainu

Kawahara Jinja - komainu pair (stone) — Komainu. Photographing the pair together helps convey the full view.

Kawahara Jinja - komainu with a smaller child komainu near the base — A good position for capturing facial expression. There is also a smaller “child” komainu near the base.

Main Shrine (Honden)

In Front of the Main Shrine

Kawahara Jinja - shrine office (shamusho) near the main shrine — Shrine office (shamusho) near the main shrine.

Kawahara Jinja - offertory box made of granite — An offertory box made of granite.

Stone Bridge

Inari Shrine Area

Kawahara Jinja - vermilion torii at the Inari shrine — Vermilion torii at the Inari shrine. The sequence of gates becomes a highlight for photography.

Kawahara Jinja - Inari deity beyond the vermilion torii — The Inari deity beyond the vermilion torii.

Kawahara Jinja - Inari shrine area with strong vermilion and stone contrast — The Inari shrine area. The contrast between vermilion and stone is striking.

Kawahara Jinja - many small Inari statues on the platform — Many small Inari statues are placed on the platform.

Kawahara Jinja - white torii to the left of the vermilion torii — A white torii gate to the left of the vermilion torii.

Kawahara Jinja - three snake carvings in front of the white torii — There are three snake carvings in front of the white torii gate.

Kawahara Jinja - snake carving (front view) — Snake carving (front view).

Kawahara Jinja - snake carving (another angle) — Snake carving (another angle).

The Inari shrine area is especially photogenic within the grounds, with vermilion torii and fox statues continuing one after another. The contrast between red and stone is strong, and adding a close-range photo helps convey the density of the scene.

Chozu (Purification Water)

Kawahara Jinja - chozuya (purification pavilion) with dragon spout — The dragon at the chozu basin.

Kawahara Jinja - dragon spout close-up at the chozu basin — A close-up of the dragon. The water is groundwater.

Sub-shrines Within the Grounds

Kawahara Jinja - sub-shrine building and surroundings — A sub-shrine and its surroundings.

Kawahara Jinja - sub-shrine (another angle) — A sub-shrine (another angle).

Kawahara Jinja - ox statue near the sub-shrine area — An ox statue near the sub-shrine area.

Kawahara Jinja - stone lantern and stone torii near the sub-shrine — A stone lantern and a stone torii near the sub-shrine area.

Kawahara Jinja - sub-shrine (another cut) — A sub-shrine (another cut).

Kawahara Jinja - scenery around the sub-shrine area — Scenery around the sub-shrine area.

Kawahara Jinja - view of the shrine grounds — A view of the shrine grounds.

Timeline (AD)

Key Events at Kawahara Jinja
Year (AD)	Event
927	The name “Kawahara Jinja” appears in the Engishiki Jinmyocho (often identified as a shikinaisha).
1601	Matsudaira Tadayoshi is said to have donated 20 koku of shrine land.
1664	Tokugawa Mitsutomo is said to have prayed here for a good harvest.
1681	The restoration of “Shimadera” and the establishment of Benten (Benzaiten) devotion are often recounted.
(Year unknown)	Due to the separation of Shinto and Buddhism, Benzaiten is said to have been moved to a nearby temple.
1945-03-19	During the Nagoya air raids, the shrine is said to have suffered war damage and the buildings were lost.
c. 1952–1953	Postwar reconstruction of the shrine buildings
1992	A fire destroyed the shrine buildings.
1998	The current shrine buildings were rebuilt.
2003	Refurbishment of Benten Pond (restoration of the stone embankment)

Enshrined Deities

Enshrined Deities
Category	Deity	Notes
Main	Hi no Kami	—
Main	Haniyama-hime no Kami	—
Main	Mizuhanome no Kami	—

Associated Deities (Sub-shrines)

Associated Deities (Sub-shrines)
Type	Shrine Name	Enshrined Deity
Sessha	Munakata Shrine (Benten Shrine)	Ichikishimahime no Mikoto (Benzaiten)
Massha	Togakushi Shrine	Ame-no-Tajikarao no Kami
Massha	Tsushima Shrine	Takeshayasusanowo no Mikoto
Massha	Kawanami Tenjin Shrine	Sugawara no Michizane
Massha	Sarutahiko Shrine	Sarutahiko no Kami
Massha	Akiba Shrine / Yama-no-Kami Shrine / Wakamiya Shrine	Kagutsuchi no Kami / Oyama-tsumi no Kami / Emperor Nintoku
Massha	Kawana Shrine	Spirits of the war dead from the Sino-Japanese and Russo-Japanese wars, and those honored for postwar service
Massha	Ryujin Shrine	Takaokami no Kami
Massha	Kawana Inari Shrine	Ukanomitama no Kami

Kawahara Jinja is a place where photo opportunities never really stop. The grounds are compact, but the density of stone features is high, and Benten Pond adds a strong visual anchor. If you enjoy photographing stone details and vermilion contrasts, this shrine is a satisfying walk.

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Written on: 2026-01-29 (JST)