The Year of the Snake is quickly approaching, and many of us are heading to bonenkai (end-of-the-year parties), doing osouji (deep cleaning) and planning how to close out the year. According to the Chinese zodiac, snakes are symbols of financial success and rebirth. As you look ahead to the next year, why not take a trip to commemorate the Year of the Snake? Japan has many spiritual and geological sites to honor snakes. Here are our top picks to start 2025 on the right foot.
1. Kanahebisui Shrine (Miyagi)
According to local legend, a blacksmith from Kyoto was looking to forge a sword for the emperor and discovered the pure waters surrounding the present-day Kanahebisui Shrine, perfect for forging a worthy weapon. Unable to complete his work because of noisy frogs, he crafted a snake to scare the frogs into silence. Thus, the shrine’s myth was born. Mizuhanome, a water goddess, and Buddhist deity Benzaiten (both associated with snakes) are enshrined within.
- Address: Suijin 7, Miiroyoshi, Iwanuma, Miyagi
- Nearest station: JR Tatekoshi
2. Hebi Daru Waterfall (Shizuoka)
Hebi Daru is one of seven waterfalls atop the Amagi Mountains. At three meters high, Snake Waterfall is among the shortest of the group. But, what it lacks in height, it makes up for in aesthetics. The surrounding basalt rock formation resembles the appearance of a snake’s scales. Be sure to pick up a stamp rally card when you visit the site and stop by all seven waterfalls to appease the Seven Gods of Luck.
3. Hakujya Baizenten Shrine (Tochigi)
This shrine takes its name from Baizenten, a powerful water deity commonly associated with snakes, dragons, good health and fortune. A myth explains that the area that once stood around the shrine was dark and largely uninhabitable with thick forests of large, old wisteria trees and cedars. Locals told stories of two white snakes living in the woods and loyal to Baizenten. If paid proper respect, you could live a healthy and prosperous life. A wooden statue of Benzaiten awaits visitors in the main hall and comes complete with eight arms. Check out important festivals dedicated to Baizenten held in April and November too.
- Address: Kugetanishi 2-6-3, Moka, Tochigi
- Nearest station: Kugeta (Mooka Railway)
4. Hebikubo Shrine (Tokyo)
Hebikubo Shrine was founded during the Kamakura period, and, like many sites on this list, it has an origin story featuring a snake. One day, a white snake that used to call the area home was forced out. Appearing in a dream of a local man, the snake asked him to create a new home, and Hebikubo Shrine was born. The shrine complex has several snake-related features, including a pair of white stone snakes you can pet for good luck, a collection of fearsome-looking snake statues guarding a smaller shrine and plenty of ema (wooden plaques used for wishes) and omamori (good luck charms) with snake motifs.
- Address: 4-4-12 Futaba, Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo
- Nearest station: Nakanobu (Tokyo Metro’s Asakusa Line)
5. Omiwa Jinja (Nara)
Omiwa Jinja is one of the oldest Shinto shrines in Japan. Walking through the complex, you can see earlier forms of Shintoism, including the lack of a main prayer hall, a standard characteristic of shrines in Japan. In fact, the entirety of Mount Miwa is thought to house the deity Omononushi-no-Kami. Omiwa Jinja is also no stranger to snakes. There are several stories of Omononushi-no-Kami taking the form of a snake and interacting with the human world. In honor of the snake god, worshippers often leave an offering of eggs, considered a favorite among snakes.
- Address: 1422 Miwa, Sakurai, Nara
- Nearest station: JR Sakurai
6. Iwakuni Shirohebi Shrine (Yamaguchi)
Unlike the other sites on this list, Iwakuni Shirohebi Shrine has a short history. The shrine was founded in 2012 and is dedicated to the white snakes of the Iwakuni region and Baizenten. Iwakuni white snakes are considered a national treasure, and the city has taken great care to preserve and breed them. Enter the shrine grounds and you’ll be greeted by a stone snake spouting water at the chozubachi, a water basin used for purifying yourself. Explore the site, and you’ll find other snake motifs in plain sight, from the roofs to the omikuji (paper fortune) designed in the shape of a white snake.
- Address: 6-4-2 Imazumachi, Iwakuni, Yamaguchi
- Nearest station: JR Nishi-Iwakuni
7. Yaegaki Shrine (Shimane)
Yaegaki Shrine has a key role in one of the most well-known Japanese myths. A couple with eight children pleaded with Susanoo, a powerful deity, to save their last remaining child from the fearsome eight-headed snake, Yamata no Orochi. It turns out that the serpent had been eating a child for a year and was coming back for the final one. Susanoo agreed to help, but only if he could marry their remaining daughter, Kushinada-hime. The parents agreed, and the beast was defeated. The two wed at Yaegaki Shrine. It’s no surprise that the site is associated with romance.
- Address: 227 Sakusacho, Matsue, Shimane
- Nearest station: JR Matsue
8. Kinomiya Shrine (Shizuoka)
Kinomiya Shrine has become famous online as a particularly Insta-worthy shrine. More than 1,300 years old, this modestly sized shrine has plenty of unique characteristics, including a black torii gate and several ancient camphor trees. Among these spots is a place said to have strong spiritual energy, a large rock with a coiled snake statue on top. Visitors usually throw coins while making a prayer or wish into the water, with some attempting to land a coin on the snake’s head for extra luck.
- Address: 43-1 Nishiyamacho, Atami, Shizuoka
- Nearest station: JR Kinomiya
9. Shinobazu no Ike Bentendo Shrine (Tokyo)
Located on the southern side of Ueno Park, Shinobazu no Ike Bentendo Shrine is an homage to several famous Shinto landmarks near Kyoto and around Lake Biwa. Dedicated to Benzaiten, one of the Seven Gods of Luck, this shrine houses a statue of the goddess in its main hall. Just in front of the hall, you’ll see a small statue of a snake with a man’s head. This is Ugajin, a deity associated with fertility, good harvests and Benzaiten.
- Address: 2-1 Uenokoen, Taito Ward, Tokyo
- Nearest station: Ueno
10. Akamizu Hebi Ishi Shrine (Kumamoto)
Past the large red torii gate and rows of stone lanterns flanking your approach to this shrine, you’ll notice several large snake statues. The origins of Akamizu Hebi Ishi Shrine lay in a terrible storm centuries ago and the stone snakes that were worshiped to survive the calamity. Today, you can see two snake enclosures on the shrine grounds that house a number of white snakes. While you can’t touch them, you can put a small snake statue in front of one of the glass cases for good luck.
- Address: 1815 Akamizu, Aso, Kumamoto
Where have you encountered snakes in Japan? Let us know in the comments below!
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