Must-see Places

Suga Shrine, 36 thirty-six major poets' portraits with a superimposed tanka

Before Meiji Era, there had been Gozutennou shrine and Inari shrine. Later, those two shrines were enshirined together and became "Suga Shrine". In Japanese mythology, when Susano no Mikoto defeated eight-headed serpent, he said "here I come and I feel suga suga shi (purified)". Suga shrine was named after this anecdote.

On the ceiling of the shrine, there are the pictures of Sanjurokkasen, Thrity-Six Great Poetic Geniuses of Heian era. They are designated as Shinjuku's importatnt cultural properties. They were paited by Unpou Ooka, and the letters on them were written by Arikoto Chigusa. They were votive offerings dedicated to the shrine in 1836. In addition to them, the shrine keeps Komainu,guardian dog statue, of the year 1728, and Yotsuya mitsuke memorial stone.