Where to Seek Protection During Your Yakudoshi Year

Visiting a shrine or temple for yakuyoke (厄除け) — protection from the misfortune of yakudoshi — is one of the most important ways to observe these unlucky years. While any Shinto shrine or Buddhist temple can perform purification rites, certain places have become nationally renowned for the particular power of their yakuyoke blessings. Here are five of the most celebrated.

1. Naritasan Shinshoji Temple, Chiba

Location: Narita City, Chiba Prefecture (near Narita Airport)
Deity/Focus: Fudō Myōō (Acala), a powerful Buddhist deity of immovable protection

Naritasan is one of Japan's most visited Buddhist temples and is particularly famous throughout the Kantō region for its yakuyoke rituals. The temple performs goma fire ceremonies multiple times daily, in which a priest burns wooden prayer sticks inscribed with worshippers' petitions. The rising smoke and fire are believed to carry the prayers directly to Fudō Myōō. Millions of visitors come each New Year season for blessings here.

2. Kawasaki Daishi (Heiken-ji Temple), Kanagawa

Location: Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture
Deity/Focus: Kōbō Daishi (the founder of Shingon Buddhism in Japan)

Kawasaki Daishi is consistently one of the most visited religious sites in Japan during the New Year period. The temple is especially associated with yakuyoke and has been a destination for those in their yakudoshi years for centuries. The sprawling complex includes a dedicated hall for goma fire ceremonies, and the temple issues elaborate protective amulets specific to yakudoshi protection.

3. Nishiarai Daishi (Sōji-ji Temple), Tokyo

Location: Adachi Ward, Tokyo
Deity/Focus: Kōbō Daishi

Known as the "Daishi of the Northeast," Nishiarai Daishi is Tokyo's premier yakuyoke temple. Its reputation specifically for warding off evil and calamity has made it a go-to destination for residents of the capital entering yakudoshi years. The temple's atmosphere is particularly vivid during January, when long queues of worshippers come for purification ceremonies.

4. Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, Kamakura

Location: Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture
Deity/Focus: Hachiman, the kami of warriors and protection

As the most important Shinto shrine in Kamakura, Tsurugaoka Hachimangu offers yakubarai ceremonies in a grand, historically resonant setting. Hachiman's association with strength and protection makes this shrine a fitting place to seek armor against yakudoshi misfortune. The shrine is easily accessible from Tokyo and makes for a meaningful day trip for those seeking a ceremony combined with Kamakura's historic beauty.

5. Ikuta Shrine, Kobe

Location: Chuo Ward, Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture
Deity/Focus: Wakahirume no Mikoto

One of Japan's oldest shrines, Ikuta has been a place of worship for over 1,800 years according to shrine records. Located in the heart of Kobe, it is the city's central yakuyoke shrine and is particularly associated with protection for women during their yakudoshi years. The lush forested grounds in the middle of an urban center give the shrine a distinctly sacred atmosphere.

Tips for Visiting a Yakuyoke Shrine or Temple

  • Go early in the new year — before Setsubun (around February 3rd) is ideal, though ceremonies are available year-round
  • Bring cash — offering fees (hatsuho-ryo) are typically paid in cash; ¥5,000–¥10,000 is standard
  • Dress respectfully — modest, clean clothing is appropriate; formal attire is welcome
  • Allow 30–60 minutes — ceremonies vary in length and you may wait for a group session to begin
  • Keep your omamori carefully — the protective amulet you receive should be returned to the shrine at year's end

Any Shrine Will Do

It is worth emphasizing that you do not need to travel to a famous shrine to receive a legitimate yakubarai blessing. Your local neighborhood shrine (chinju no mori) can perform the same purification rites. The intention and sincerity of your visit matters just as much as the prestige of the location.