Just across the solemn Shinto shrine dedicated to Lady Oiwa is Youunji (pronounced /YOH-un-ji/), a Buddhist temple venerating the same lady. Unlike the grim and haunted stories associated with the shrine, however, Youunji separates itself from the tragic kabuki play by appealing to a young audience with amusing prayer customs, plenty of charming merch, and a chic cafe.
Yōunji Temple (Youunji, 陽運寺, よううんじ)
08:00 to 17:00
Free admission
5-minute walk from Yotsuya-Sanchome Station, Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line
Official Website
So Many Ways to Pray at Youunji
One of the things that make a visit to Youunji fun is that the whole practice of praying or making wishes feel like mini attractions. Many people come to the temple to pray for good marriage prospects or to ward off evil and bad fortune.
Forge and Cut Ties
Youunji is known for prayers related to en, often translated as “fate” or “destiny” and imagined as an invisible string that ties people together. Enmusubi means to tie the knot, which includes but is not limited to marriage, while engiri means to cut ties—with people, places, or just bad luck in general.
In Youunji, you can pray for either by writing on a wooden prayer plaque. The red ones with the kanji for “bond” (結) are for forging ties, while the black ones with the kanji for “cut” (切) are for severing them. Make sure you choose the right one for your prayer.
Pray for Good Fortune
If you’re praying for general good luck, you can write your prayer on a wooden plaque with the Lady Oiwa design. While kabuki playwright Nanboku Tsuruya IV made a vengeful ghost out of Lady Oiwa, in real life, she was an upstanding member of her community, which is why people associate her with good fortune.
Other than prayer plaques, you can also “fish for good luck” by using a mini rod to catch protective charms shaped like sea breams. Sea breams or tai are associated with good luck because they sound like “medetai” which means “prosperous.”
Wish Stones
For ¥100, visitors to the shrine can also buy a small cup of “kanōdama,” prayer stones made of wood. There’s a small pool of water in the temple where you’re supposed to shoot the prayer stones into. If you get them in, your wish will be granted. It’s fairly easy to do so, and quite fun too. There’s no need to pick up the stones that missed, but remember to bring the empty cup back once you’re done.
Statue of Happiness
Pouring water over statues of deities is a common practice in Japanese Buddhism. Youunji has one such statue, and it is said that you can pray for happiness by pouring water over it.
Protective Charms
Youunji has plenty of beautifully designed omamori or protective charms. Among these are a charm for luck in love, which comes in a striking red, and a charm for beauty, elegantly crafted white.
Ukuraima Shokudo: Charming Temple Cafe
Once you finish paying respects, you can take a rest at the cafe located inside the temple grounds. The lovely garden cafe has several seats, each furnished with a parasol to shield customers from direct sunlight. In summer, Japanese fans called uchiwa are placed on the tables. There’s even a small library with a few books you can pass time with.
Healthy, balanced meals are served throughout the day, as well as cakes and Japanese sweets. Set meals with your choice of tea or coffee cost around a thousand yen.
How to Get to Youunji
Yōunji Temple (陽運寺, よううんじ)
08:00 to 17:00
Free admission
5-minute walk frm Yotsuya-Sanchome Station, Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line
Official Website
Youunji is close to Oiwa Inari, the Shinto shrine dedicated to Lady Oiwa that people say is haunted, and Taisoji, a temple known for its baby-eating Enma statue.
