Tokyo’s Onigiri Shrine - Hikifune Takagi Shrine; Guide + Photos

A very ‘rice’ thing to do in Tokyo, Hikifune Takagi Shrine is perhaps better known as Japan’s joyful onigiri shrine.

Located in the shadow of Tokyo Skytree and hidden away in a very quiet side-street, this onigiri shrine site is hundreds of years old and attracts dozens of visitors everyday.

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Onigiri Shrine - Hikifune Takagi Shrine Tokyo

It even has a small gift shop onsite where you can buy onigiri shaped charms (‘ema’) and trinkets to write on and leave behind.

Free to visit, we’d rate this awesome onigiri shrine in Tokyo as one of the most unusual, weird and wonderful things to do in Tokyo.

We visited Hikifune Takagi Shrine / onigiri temple in December 2024 – here is our guide to visiting plus directions and photos.

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Table of Contents

Where is Tokyo’s Onigiri Shrine?

Located in the Hikifune district of Tokyo’s Sumida City, the onigiri shrine can be found on Google maps here >

It is also within walking distance of the Tokyo Skytree, one of Tokyo’s best observation decks.

The nearest stations to the onigiri shrine in Tokyo are Hikifune Station or Oshiage (Skytree) Station.

Onigiri Shrine - Hikifune Takagi Shrine Tokyo skytree

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History of the Onigiri Shrine

Hikifune Takagi Shrine first dates back to the 15th century (although it has changed a lot since then). Now the shrine and its trees are bedecked with rice-balls of all shapes and sizes, including ones travellers and worshippers have brought with them.

Funnily enough, when we posted about the onigiri shrine on our Japan Travel Tips Facebook group, several people recognised their onigiri stones and charms which they’d left with their written wishes the previous year.

Whilst much of the local area has now become quite modern (especially with the Tokyo Sky Tree and all the new riverside developments near Tobu Bridge), the onigiri shrine is a beautiful but small site, steeped in history and tradition.

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Why has it become known as Japan’s Onigiri Shrine?

Over the years, it has become known as a shrine to onigiri as it is dedicated to deity Takami-musubi. Another name for onigiri is ‘omusubi’ and as the two sound so similar, amused worshippers and well-wishers started to leave rice-balls and onigiri charms and the trend grew.

Now people from all over the world visit and leave behind onigiri trinkets and plushes as good luck fortunes – you can even buy onigiri shaped ema (wooden plaques) to write your wishes and hang up by the temple from the onsite shop.

We should mention that Hikifune Takagi Shrine is VERY small, no bigger than probably 10 parking spaces – so please don’t expect something on the scale of say Senso-ji Temple in nearby Asakusa.