Enshrining the deity of sacred Mt Hiei, northeast of Kyoto, this hilltop shrine has been the protector shrine of Edo Castle (now the Imperial Palace) since it was first built in 1478. Host of one of Tokyo’s three liveliest matsuri (festivals), Sannō-sai, it's an attractive place best approached by the tunnel of red torii on the hill's western side. There are also escalators up the hill from Tameike-sannō.
The shrine's present location dates from 1659, though it was destroyed in the 1945 bombings and later rebuilt in 1967.
On the left, inside the main eastern entrance gate, the carved monkey clutching one of her young is emblematic of the shrine’s ability to offer protection against the threat of a miscarriage.
