Oct–NovHokuriku's old chief shrine, behind one of Japan's three great wooden torii: 10.93 m of vermilion that came through the 1945 air raid. Free, open every day, and a straight walk from the Shinkansen station.
Kehi Jingū (氣比神宮) is the old chief shrine of Hokuriku, a 15 minute walk from Tsuruga Station along the arcaded Symbol Road. Entry is free and the grounds open every day, 5:00–17:00 from April to September and 6:00–17:00 from October to March. The draw is the Ōtorii, a vermilion gate 10.93 m tall (about 11 m) built in 1645, one of Japan's three great wooden torii. Allow 20–30 minutes inside, or about an hour from the station and back.
Kehi Jingū is the ichinomiya (chief shrine) of the old Echizen Province and the guardian shrine of the Hokuriku coast. Its origins predate written records; the date usually given is 702. It enshrines Izasawake-no-mikoto with Emperor Chūai, Empress Jingū and Emperor Ōjin.
The Tsuruga air raid of 12 July 1945 burned most of the buildings, including the Edo-period main hall. The torii survived. The present main hall went up in 1950, and the vermilion gate is the one that visitors photograph.
It is also the easiest stop in Tsuruga if you are changing trains: free, on the way to the port and 15 minutes from the platform. See changing trains at Tsuruga for the connection itself and the Tsuruga town guide for how to fill a longer gap.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Admission | Free. Goshuin (stamps) and amulets at the shrine office, 8:45–16:45. |
| Hours | Grounds 5:00–17:00 from April to September, 6:00–17:00 from October to March. No closed days. |
| The torii | Ōtorii (大鳥居), two-legged ryōbu style, 10.93 m, built 1645, Important Cultural Property. With Kasuga Taisha (Nara) and Itsukushima (Hiroshima), one of Japan's three great wooden torii. |
| Getting there | 15 min on foot from Tsuruga Station. By Gurutto Tsuruga sightseeing bus, second stop, about 3 min, ¥200. Taxi about 3 min. |
| Time needed | 20–30 minutes in the grounds; about an hour from the station and back. |
| Festival | Reitaisai on 4 September, within the Kehi no Nagamatsuri (2–15 September). |
| Address | 11-68 Akebono-chō, Tsuruga. Phone 0770-22-0794. About 50 free parking spaces, full at weekends. |
Everything is within 100 m of the gate, so the visit is short and flat.
A vermilion ryōbu torii with a curved top beam, 10.93 m (36 shaku) high, standing at the head of the approach. The plaque was written by Prince Arisugawa Takehito. Kasuga Taisha and Itsukushima hold the other two places among Japan's great wooden torii; this is the one you can reach on foot from a Shinkansen platform.
Matsuo Bashō reached Tsuruga in September 1689 on the journey recorded in Oku no Hosomichi, and came to the shrine at night. A statue stands in front of the middle torii. Its base carries his haiku 月清し遊行のもてる砂の上: the moon is clear on the sand that the Yugyō priest carried here. The white sand of the grounds is what moved him.
Beyond the torii the vermilion pillars of the main hall stand with four smaller shrine halls around it. The Chōmeisui (長命水) spring, drawn from for more than 1,300 years, is said to bring a long life; visitors drink from it or fill a bottle. The shaded grounds are a relief on a hot day.
The main festival, Reitaisai, is held on 4 September within the two-week Kehi no Nagamatsuri. In winter the torii often stands in snow, a very different picture from the green of summer. Hours stay the same, so go early in the day if you want the grounds to yourself.
Leave by the west exit and the shrine is straight ahead.
Walk straight from the station through the arcaded shopping street to the torii. 28 bronze statues of Galaxy Express 999 and Space Battleship Yamato line the way, so it takes a little longer if you stop. The arcade covers most of the walk in light rain.
The Sightseeing Route leaves from bus stop 3 at the station and Kehi Jingū is the second stop. About 11 departures a day from 10:00 to 16:40, more at weekends. A one-day pass is ¥500 and Suica or ICOCA work for single rides. The community bus (Matsubara line, stops 4 and 5) also stops at Kehi Jingū-mae.
A taxi from the station takes about 3 minutes. By car it is about 10 minutes from Tsuruga IC on Route 8, with roughly 50 free spaces that fill up at weekends.
A short visit, so a few small choices make it smoother.
Sleep within walking distance of the shrine and see it at 6:00 before the first train.
143 rooms a minute from the west exit, so the walk to the shrine starts at the hotel door. Public baths for the evening. Guests with tattoos are not admitted to the bath.
A natural hot spring bath (Wakasa no Yu) and breakfast that includes Tsuruga's sauce katsudon, 8 minutes from the station on foot. Guests with tattoos are not admitted to the baths.
185 rooms beside the station, rated 8.1 on Agoda from over 600 reviews. A plain, reliable base for the 6:00 gate opening.
Check rates ↗Entry is free. The grounds open 5:00–17:00 from April to September and 6:00–17:00 from October to March, every day of the year. The shrine office for goshuin is open 8:45–16:45.
Walk 15 minutes straight along the arcaded Symbol Road. Or take the Gurutto Tsuruga sightseeing bus from stop 3 (second stop, about 3 minutes, ¥200), the community bus to Kehi Jingū-mae, or a taxi (about 3 minutes).
The Ōtorii is 10.93 m high, built in 1645, and an Important Cultural Property. It is counted with the torii at Kasuga Taisha in Nara and Itsukushima Shrine in Hiroshima as Japan's three great wooden torii.
It stands in front of the middle torii. The haiku on its base, 月清し遊行のもてる砂の上, records Bashō's visit by moonlight in September 1689 during the journey of Oku no Hosomichi.
Yes, if you have about 90 minutes: 15 minutes each way on foot plus 20–30 minutes in the grounds. Leave bags in the station lockers and check your train time before you set off.
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