Experience a VR360 walk through Chichibu Shrine, located in central Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture.

This is Part 2 of the Chichibu Three Shrines journey.

Together with Hodosan Shrine and Mitsumine Shrine, Chichibu Shrine is one of the Three Shrines of Chichibu and has long been worshipped as the spiritual guardian of the region.

The walk begins at the main torii gate, passes the purification pavilion and shrine gate, and continues counterclockwise around the shrine complex.

The present buildings were rebuilt in 1592 with the support of Tokugawa Ieyasu and preserve features of early Edo-period architecture.

Highlights include four celebrated carvings: Tsunagi no Ryu, the Chained Dragon; Hokushin no Fukurou, the Owl of the North Star; Genki Sanzaru, the Energetic Three Monkeys; and Kosodate no Tora, the Child-Rearing Tigers.

The Chained Dragon and Child-Rearing Tigers are traditionally attributed to the legendary sculptor Hidari Jingoro.

Chichibu Shrine is also the center of the Chichibu Night Festival. In 2016, the festival was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity as part of “Yama, Hoko, Yatai, float festivals in Japan.”

Part 1 visits Hodosan Shrine. Part 3 continues to Mitsumine Shrine, known for its mountain setting and wolf tradition.

Filmed in Chichibu, Saitama, Japan
Created by BAKANCE INC.