Although not a large Jinja, it is very popular as Kami of strong luck and money.
| Enshrined kami | ●Ukanomitama ●Ichikishimahime-no-Kami ●Fukurokuju |
| Virtue of the kami | ●Strong luck ●Avoidance of bad luck |
| Location | 16-23 Koamicho, Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo |
History
The present shrine were built in 1929 by the chief carpenter of the Meiji Jingu Shrine. Later in World War II, Tokyo was hit by 106 air raids between 1944 and 1945, but Koami Shrine has survived and been not destroyed by fire. And it is now the only remaining prewar wooden shrine building in the Nihonbashi area, and is registered as a cultural property of Chuo-ku, Tokyo.
Kami of Strong Luck and Protection from evil
小網神社, Koami Jinja (Koami Shrine) is worshipped as the “Kami of Strong Luck and Protection from evil” because of the following history.
During World War II, the Jinja gave amulets to soldiers who were going to war, and all of them returned alive.
On March 10, 1945, when Tokyo was hit by an air raid that claimed more than 1 million sufferers, the buildings on the shrine grounds, including the shrine pavilions, miraculously escaped the war damage.
Even further back, when the Great Kanto Earthquake struck on September 1, 1923, the chief priest of the Jinja at that time evacuated the Jinja to a nearby bridge, carrying the sacred object of Kami. It is said that the people were saved. (A description of the situation at that time can be found on the evacuation monument at the side of the bridge: “We prostrated ourselves at the the sacred object of Kami of the Koami Shrine and prayed for blessings.”)
銭洗弁天, Zeni-Arai-Benten (Money Washing Benten)
小網神社, Koami Jinja (Koami Shrine) is also famous as 銭洗弁天, Zeni-Arai-Benten (Money Washing Benten). Benten is one of the Kami and is known as the Kami of wealth.
Washing money and other items in a well on the shrine grounds and placing them in purses and other containers brings good fortune, making the Jinja very popular and attracting many people from far and wide to visit there.
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