Musashino Reiwa Jinja is one of the newest shrines in Japan. Built in 2020, the shrine is located in Tokorozawa Sakura Town, a cultural center, that Kengo Kuma built. It prays for the safety of the artists, and creators and the prosperity of Sakura Town’s operations. It is located on the Musashino Plateau, a sanctuary of ”Cool Japan”, a term that refers to the aspects of Japanese culture that non-Japanese people perceive as “cool”. The shrine emanates hope that the culture of Japan will continue to develop and flourish.
The shrine abounds with greenery and water and offers a place to rest for people to link them up with nature so they can escape the hustle of daily life. There are two enshrined deities collectively called “Kotodama no Okami.” It refers to the divine authority manifested in art contents, ranging from high culture to pop culture, from academic to entertainment, and from cinema to anime.
Musashino Reiwa is a contemporary shrine with a modern architectural style. The Culture Museum, for example, was built with black and white granite slabs giving the appearance that each piece of stone breaks through the surface and floats independently. The interior was designed as a futuristic labyrinth, differing from the conventional styles by mixing high and pop culture. The main prayer hall is made of glass to make the interior spacious.
The shrine’s main attraction is the torii gate in front of the main hall. It is decorated with LED lights that give futuristic vibes. These LEDs change color when someones walk through the torii and tell fortune. For instance, the color white increases financial luck, yellow-green improves health, and pink increases luck in love.
