Ushitora Shrine — 艮神社

Ushitora Shrine (艮神社, Ushitora-jinja) is a Shinto shrine located in Kita-Yoshizu-cho, Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The name “ushitora” (艮) refers to the northeast direction on the traditional Japanese compass, which is considered an inauspicious direction (kimon, or “demon gate”) in Japanese geomancy. Shrines dedicated to the ushitora direction were historically established to guard against evil from that quarter. The shrine gained national attention in January 2022 when it was featured on the TBS television program “Matsuko’s Unknown World” (マツコの知らない世界) in a special on power shrines, where it was recommended as the top lucky shrine of the year. Website: ushitorajinja.org | X: @ushitorajinja