I was very excited to visit Kitanoten Shrine (Kitano Ten Jinja 北野天神社 ) in Tokorozawa this month. It has long been on my list of places I want to visit. It did not disappoint. In fact, it far surpassed expectations. That was partially due to the presence of a Horseshoe Gate and a life size straw horse. A perfect place for hatsumode in the Year of the Horse! Furthermore, there is the Totoro connection, the main reason this shrine was on my wish list in the first place. In addition, I learned from my visit that they will have both a Setsubun Festival and an Otakiage on February 3rd this year. There is also a real size model of a biplane! Moreover, there were a few plum blossoms flowering! And as if all that wasn’t enough; there are bamboo torii here.
Kitanoten Shrine, Tokorozawa
Kitanoten Shrine is a Tenjin‑shrine dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, the deity of learning, scholarship, and the arts. It honors Michizane’s legacy as a poet, statesman, and cultural figure whose tragic exile later elevated him to divine status. Shrines of this lineage are often called Tenjin‑sha or Tenmangu, and “Kitanoten” reflects the Kyoto origin of the tradition, where Kitano Tenmangu is the head shrine.
Kitanoten Shrine in Tokorozawa is known for its quiet, local atmosphere. Students and families come to pray for academic success, safe studies, and personal growth. Visitors often leave ema with exam wishes, children’s milestones, or gratitude for passed tests. Tenjin shrines typically feature plum blossoms (ume)—a flower deeply associated with Michizane—and this shrine is no exception. However, they don’t have many at this branch in Tokorozawa. But of the few they have two of them are already in bloom. One of the pink ones is quite advanced too, nearing full bloom. There are bamboo torii on the grounds of Kitanoten shrine. Not something you see every day. Above, one of the bamboo torii with plum blossoms in bloom. There were also ume blooming in front of the “shirahata-zuka”, a mound related to Mt Fuji, also pictured above.
Kitanoten shrines also tend to serve as community anchors, hosting small festivals, New Year’s blessings, and rites for children such as shichi‑go‑san. They have two such events coming up:
Setsubun and Otakiage
Both setsubun and otakiage will be carried out on the same day at Kitanoten shrine. That is, Tuesday February 3rd 2026. The setsubun festival and otakiage ritual are from 6 pm. Setsubun (節分) is a lively seasonal rite. It marks the shift from winter to spring, celebrated with bean‑throwing to drive away misfortune and invite good luck for the year ahead. You can find information about and resources for setsubun here (linked post). Otakiage (お焚き上げ) is a traditional purification rite in which old or unwanted sacred items are respectfully burned to release their spiritual presence and return them to a purified state.
Horseshoe Gate, Straw Horse and Horseshoe Chime
Pictured, the very cool horseshoe gate and the straw horse. Moreover, beside the straw horse is an actual horseshoe and a bar for striking it. Hopefully you can make it out in photo number 2 above.
Biplane
In April 2025, a full size replica was built of the, French built, Henri Farman aircraft that is located at Iruma Air Base. It is the aircraft that was used in Japan’s first successful flight. On December 19th. in 1910, Army officer Tokugawa Yoshitoshi (1884-1963) made the flight at Yoyogii Park in Tokyo, which was a training ground at that time. The flight time was only four minutes long and the plane only reached a maximum altitude of 70 meters. Reportedly, the plane traveled a distance of 3,000 meters. A photo was donated to the shrine by Mr Nagatoshi Kawano, the first commander of Japan’s Balloon Unit.
Totoro
I’ve seen a few people online referring to this as the Totoro Shrine. That is no doubt because of the cute straw Totoro at the shrine, in the feature photo at the top of the post. But there is another shrine in Tokorozawa that is more widely recognized as the Totoro Shrine due to the large Totoro in its parking lot. You will also find it on “In Saitama”, and great news for those travelling by car – it’s only a ten-minute drive away. The actual Totoro Shrine.
Wintersweet at the “Totoro Shrine” in Tokorozawa ⋆ In Saitama
Shrine information
Shrine: Kitanoten Shrine 北野天神社
Address: 〒359-1147 Saitama, Tokorozawa, Kotesashi Motomachi, 3 Chome−２８−44
Hours: 9 am to 4 pm for purchases. Precincts open 24 hours
Access: There is parking for about 20 cars. It is about a 30 minute walk from Kotesashi station.
they were horsing around when they made these creations!