Shrine · Waseda

Ana Hachimangu 穴八幡宮

A vermilion hilltop shrine by Waseda University that draws enormous queues every winter solstice for its "Ichiyo Raifuku" talisman, believed to bring money and turn bad luck into good.

About

Ana Hachimangu ("cave Hachiman") takes its name from a cave discovered on the hillside in 1641 while the grounds were being cleared, in which a golden Buddha image was found. Patronised by the Tokugawa shoguns, it was a renowned venue for yabusame horseback archery, a bronze statue of a mounted archer stands nearby. Today the shrine is most famous for the Ichiyo Raifuku talisman ("the return of yang"), offered only between the winter solstice and Setsubun (February 3). Believers paste it on the wall facing that year's lucky direction at exactly midnight on the solstice, New Year's Eve or Setsubun, to bring prosperity. On solstice morning lines snake around the block from before dawn. The vermilion romon gate, rebuilt in 1998, and the hilltop views of Waseda make it worth a visit year-round.

Highlights

• Ichiyo Raifuku money-luck talisman, offered only from the winter solstice to Setsubun
• Vermilion romon gate and hillside precinct overlooking Waseda
• Name from the cave found in 1641, "Ana" means hole or cave
• Historic yabusame horseback-archery heritage, with a mounted-archer statue nearby
• Quiet, local feel outside the talisman season

Tips

• The talisman must be put up at exactly midnight on one of three nights, facing the year's lucky direction, read the instructions handed out with it.
• On the winter solstice the queue starts before 5:00; later in December waits are much shorter.
• Waseda Station (Tozai Line) is about 3 minutes away on foot.
• Pair with a walk around Waseda University's Okuma Auditorium and the Toden Arakawa tram.

Open in Google Maps · Info checked 2026-10-09

Nearby

• Hakone-yama (Toyama Park)Vista & View · 170 m away
• Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum, Waseda UniversityMuseum · 360 m away
• Waseda University Okuma AuditoriumLandmark & Tower · 410 m away
• Raamen YamaguchiRamen & Noodles · 500 m away
• GokurakudoCamera Store · 690 m away
• Higo Hosokawa GardenGarden · 750 m away
• Sekiguchi Basho-anLocal Secret · 770 m away
• Don Quijote Shinjuku Meiji-doriUnique Store · 780 m away