Sensoji Temple (浅草寺) in Taito Ward of Tokyo enshrines many Buddhas and gods besides Kannon, a bodhisattva of mercy.
There is a guardian god for women among them. That is Awashima Myojin (淡島明神) at Awashimado Hall (淡島堂). This god helps you to cure women’s diseases, have a safe delivery, arrange a good marriage, etc.
This blog post will intoroduce Awashimado Hall and Awashima Myojin at Sensoji Temple. If you would like to know more about Sensoji Temple, please refer to the following blog post:
About Awashimado Hall
The Awashimado Hall is located in the northeast of the precincts of Sensoji Temple. Unlike the temple’s main hall, Awashimado Hall is relatively quiet.
According to Sensoji Temple, the history of Awashimado Hall dates to the 17th Century.
During the Genroku period (1688 to 1704), Sensoji Temple practiced a Kanjo (勧請) to enshrine Awashima Myojin at Awashima Shrine (淡嶋神社) to Asakusa.
A Kanjo is a ritual in which the spirit of God or Buddha is divided to re-enshrine another location.
And Awashima Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Kada of Kii Province, what is now Wakayama Prefecture and Mie Prefecture.
Awashima Myoji is also known as Awashima no Kami (淡島神). Some people claim that this god is the same as Sukunahikona no Mikoto (少彦名命).
In 1945, the Bombing of Tokyo burned Sensoji Temple’s main hall. For this reason, Sensoji Temple temporarily used Awashimado Hall as its main hall until 1955.
Awashimado Hall now enshrines the following Buddhas and gods.
- Awashima Myojin (淡島明神): the guardian god for women
- Amida Nyorai (阿弥陀如来): the salvation Buddha
- Kokuzo Bosatsu (虚空蔵菩薩): the wisdom Buddha
- Toriko Jizo Bosatsu (取子地蔵菩薩):
About Awashima Myojin
Awashima Myojin (aka Sukunahikona no Mikoto) is originally a god of medicine. Awashima Shrine says the blessings of this god are mainly for women.
Awashima Myojin helps you to:
- cure women’s diseases
- get pregnant
- have a safe delivery
- improve sewing skills
- arrange a good marriage
- etc.
In the middle of the Edo period, the Awashima faith became popular. Priests called Awashima Gannin (淡島願人) preached the blessings of Awashima Myojin all over Japan. As a result, Awashima Myojin became known to people as a guardian god for women.
One of the blessings of Awashima Myojin is improvement in sewing. Therefore, Awashimado Hall holds Hari Kuyo (針供養), a memorial service for broken needles, on February 8th every year. The memorial service starts at 11am. The usually quiet Awashimado Hall is also full of worshippers on this day.
Other Information
You can enter the precincts of Sensoji Temple anytime. But Awashima Hall only opens the following time:
- From 6am to 5pm (April to September)
- From 6:30am to 5pm (October to March)
