Hokumon Shrine
Japan’s Northernmost Shrine with a Resident Shinto Priest
Located on a hill in Wakkanai, Hokkaido, Hokumon Shrine was founded in Soya in 1785. It is Japan’s northernmost shrine with a resident Shinto priest and has long served as a place where people pray for safe sea voyages and successful fishing.
According to the shrine’s history, its origins date to 1785, when Murayama Denbei, a contractor for the Matsumae Domain, established a small shrine in Soya after seeing local people worshipping the sun and associating it with Amaterasu Omikami. The shrine was originally called Soya Daijingu.
In 1896, the shrine was relocated to its present site, where Takemikazuchi-no-Kami and Kotoshironushi-no-Kami were enshrined alongside Amaterasu Omikami. It later became known as Hokumon Shrine. Visitors can worship at the shrine and receive goshuin (calligraphic shrine seals). The annual festival is held on July 5, and the grounds overlook Wakkanai Port and the surrounding cityscape.
The Tanka-no-Michi (Tanka Poem Path) begins beside the shrine’s main hall and leads to Wakkanai Park. Poetry monuments stand along the route, providing a walking connection between the shrine and the park while introducing visitors to Wakkanai’s literary heritage.
- * Please note that the text shown on this page includes machine translations.
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General Information
- Postal code
- 〒097-0022
- Address
- 北海道稚内市中央1丁目1-21
- Telephone Number
- 0162-22-2944
- Car Park
- 10 spaces, free
- Directions
- ●By car: About 5 minutes from JR Wakkanai Station
●By car: About 20 minutes from Wakkanai Airport - Website
* Information on facilities is subject to change. Please check each official website for the latest information.
