Shrine café

Kamigaminomori (courtesy the shrine café)

I once asked a Korean woman about shamanism there.  ‘Oh, you mean fortune-telling,’ she responded.  It sometimes seems that Shinto is viewed in similar fashion by many of the young people who flock to shrines for ‘enmusubi‘ (making good ties) or eagerly wait in queue for their fortune slips.  An article in Japan Today suggests some enterprising Japanese have seen a further business opportunity in the trend.

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New ‘Shrine Cafe’ in Tokyo offers fortune-telling and counseling services with your tea
By Krista Rogers  Japan Today OCT. 25, 2014

TOKYO —
With only a little over two months left in the year, you might find yourself already looking forward to what the new year has to offer. If you’re especially eager to get a sneak peek of what 2015 has in store for you, then a new Shrine Cafe located in Tokyo’s Takadanobaba neighborhood may just be the perfect place for you. It only opened its doors on Oct 14, but it already promises to fill a niche in Japan’s already abundant and eclectic cafe scene.

But wait – just what the heck is a shrine cafe?  A quintessential aspect of Japan is the omnipresence of Shinto shrines, known as jinja (神社), located throughout the country. Providing a detailed description of jinja is beyond the scope of this article, however, the basic idea is that they serve as dwellings and places of worship for the various kami, or spirits/gods (神), found within the natural world.

Miko at Omiwa Jinja

In the picture, you may recognize the distinctive red and white garb of the “miko,” or Shinto shrine priestess/maiden (巫女), from facets of Japanese popular culture. In particular, Sailor Moon’s Rei Hino and Inuyasha‘s Kikyo come to mind as two examples of anime characters who serve as “miko” at jinja.

But actually, you won’t find the “miko” pictured above at a typical Shinto shrine. Instead, you have to go to a new location in Tokyo called Uranai Hiiringu Kafe x Jinja: Kamigaminomori-jinja (占いヒーリングカフェ×神社　神々の森神社), which translates to something like “Fortune-telling and Healing Cafe x Shrine: Forest of Gods Shrine.”

Kamigaminomori is located an easy three-minute walk from Takadanobaba Station, which can be reached on the Yamanote Line. Upon arriving at its third floor entrance in the Izuei Building, you’ll immediately see that this is no ordinary place by the decorative exterior of the door.

As a unique shrine/fortune-teller/cafe combination, the cafe area boasts an impressive stock of over 20 varieties of high-quality tea from around the world.  You should note that Kamigaminomori is not a half-hearted attempt to incorporate a shrine into a cafe, nor is it a full-fledged cafe designed with elements of a shrine in mind. Rather, you can think of them as two separate and complete entities sharing the same space.

Continuing inside, you’ll enter the actual shrine area, which comes complete with a selection of books and a TV displaying images of scenery found at different shrines. The unique atmosphere causes you to completely forget that you’re inside a building.

Comparing fortune slips at Jisshu Jinja in Kyoto

You’re probably wondering by now the reason for building an indoor shrine in the first place. According to the staff, they wanted to create a calming ambiance that wouldn’t be affected by the weather, as well as a convenient location near the station, particular for women, to come to after a stressful day at work. Furthermore, it’s open till 11 p.m., so you shouldn’t have a problem getting there in time even if you work overtime. Yup, sounds like the perfect healing place to us!

All of the staff members are professional and fully qualified Shinto priests, counselors, or fortune tellers. Below is an example of a “therapy room” where you can have your fortune told or receive counseling. The atmosphere is a bit different from the open shrine area.

In general, you don’t need to reserve a spot for gaining entry to the shrine and cafe area. After all, you don’t make a reservation when you stop by any other jinja, do you? In addition, the 500 yen entrance fee gives you unlimited refills of the previously mentioned 20 varieties of tea. However, you might want to reserve a place if you’re seeking the fortune-telling or counseling services. By the way, have you been feeling a bit “tainted” recently? Apparently, the staff will even perform free Shinto purifications!

Regardless of the intent of your visit, your time at the Kamigaminomori-jinja Cafe is sure to be memorable and relaxing. Why not take this opportunity to visit a unique establishment that’s so intricately tied to traditional Japanese culture

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神々の森神社　概要/Kamigaminomori-jinja

Shop name: Uranai Hiiringu Kafe x Jinja: Kamigaminomori-jinja (“Fortune Healing Cafe x Shrine: Kamigaminomori-jinja“)   Hours: Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays 6pm-11pm (reservations are accepted until 10pm)  Location: 3rd floor of the Izuei Building, 4-13-12 Takadanobaba, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 〒169-0075  Tel: 070-6469-724

Omikuji fortune slips at Suwa Taisha tied up after being read, either to cement the good luck or take away the bad