centuries (referred to colloquially as "The Flowers of Edo"), and in 1931 the shrine was designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan. Prior to this its name had been changed from Nezu Kongen to Nezu Jinja following the enactment of the Separation of Shintō and Buddhism Ordinance (Shinbutsu Bunri) in 1868.

​

Description

About five minutes' walk from exit 1 of Nezu Station. One of the Ten Tōkyō Shrines, and very interesting. Both of the two in-ground Inari JInja probably warrant writing up on their own account, while the main buildings of the shrine all date back to the first decade of the eighteenth century and are of great aesthetic interest. The whole shrine is a photographer's delight, and with the main hall affording a riot of colours it is not just the torii tunnels of the Otome-Inari Jinja which can be described as colourful. The shrine is keen to add to the number of torii in its vermilion tunnels: there is a sign to the side of the tunnel saying that applications for new torii are now being accepted at a cost of ¥100,000 per torii. This may be standard practice, but it is the first time I have come across it. In addition to the shrine itself being a national cultural property, four structures in the shine have been designated as cultural properties by Bunkyō-ku. One of the more unusual of these is the Enazuka (lit. "Placenta Mound") of Tokugawa Ienobu. From late April to early May the shrine holds the Bunkyō Azalea festival. There are about 100 species, 3,000 trees in the grounds and during the festival the main hall is open to the public, it usually is not.