By ando 
Basic Information
Name: Shiogama jinja (Commonly known as Nakakecho Shiogama jinja)
Location: 2-2-22 Tsutsujigaoka, Miyagino Ward, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture
Enshrined Kami: Shiotsuchi-no-Oji-no-kami
Divine Blessings: Safe childbirth, traffic safety, matchmaking, successful first love
The remarkable history of a “temporary shrine” left by the Date clan
Tucked away in Miyagino Ward, Sendai City, not far from Sendai Station’s east exit, stands Shiogama jinja. This jinja is actually a branch shrine (bunshi) of the famous Mutsu-koku Ichinomiya Shiogama jinja located in Shiogama City.
Its origins trace back to the Enpo era of the Edo period (around 1680). At that time, when Date Tsunamura, the 4th lord of the Sendai domain, undertook a major renovation of the main Shiogama jinja, this site was chosen as a “karimiya” (temporary shrine) to temporarily house the kami. Even after the renovation was complete, local residents wished for the kami not to depart, and so a divided spirit (bunrei) was formally invited (kanjo) to be enshrined here, resulting in its present form.
A jinja facing “First Love Street”? Mysteries and hidden stories of love
The most distinctive feature of this jinja is the name of the street it faces: “Hatsukoi-dori,” or “First Love Street.”
Why is this jinja associated with “first love”? It is deeply connected to the Meiji-era literary master, Shimazaki Toson. Toson once stayed at the “Miuraya” boarding house, located very close to this jinja, where he wrote his masterpiece poetry collection, “Wakanashu.” The street was named after one of the poems in that collection, titled “Hatsukoi” (First Love).
While the main Shiogama jinja is traditionally known as a kami of “safe childbirth” and “maritime safety,” this Shiogama jinja in Miyagino Ward, due to its location, gradually became a popular spot for young people seeking “successful first love” and “matchmaking.”
The legend of salt taught by the kami’s messenger
The enshrined kami, Shiotsuchi-no-Oji-no-kami, is known as a “kami of guidance” appearing in both the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, and also as a “kami of salt” who taught people how to make salt.
According to legend, this kami came from the sea and taught people how to produce boiled salt. While the main jinja still performs the “Moshioyaki Shinji,” a ritual reenacting ancient salt-making methods, the “guiding” power of this kami remains strong at the Miyagino Ward jinja. People facing crossroads in life continuously visit to pray for guidance on the right path.
Pilgrimage information: As a setting for the anime “Wake Up, Girls!”
The area around this jinja is also known as a pilgrimage site for fans of “Wake Up, Girls!” (WUG), an idol anime set in Sendai.
In the anime, the protagonists’ agency is set in the Sendai Station East Exit area, and the townscape around the jinja and “First Love Street” frequently appear as backgrounds. The vermillion torii gate, suddenly appearing amidst urban buildings, has become a symbolic spot for anime fans to feel “the essence of Sendai.”
A pilgrimage mystery: Where to get a goshuin?
In fact, this jinja is often unattended, and you cannot receive a goshuin stamp directly on its grounds.
It’s too soon to give up with a thought like, “I came all this way, but I can’t get a goshuin…” There’s actually an “unwritten rule” that you can receive the goshuin for Nakakecho Shiogama jinja at Tsutsujigaoka Tenmangu, located a short distance away. It is said that visiting both jinja together allows you to receive deeper divine blessings.
Related Links / References
[1] 御由緒 – 志波彦神社・鹽竈神社
[2] 宮城県神社庁は、宮城県内の神社(931社)を包括しています — 宮城県神社庁
[3] 鹽竈神社 – Wikipedia
[4] 鹽竈神社（宮城）に祀られている神様は？塩釜桜の特徴・見頃とお守りも紹介
[5] 鹽竈神社 (仙台市宮城野区) – Wikipedia
[6] 鹽竈（しおがま）神社（陸奥国一の宮） – 全国史跡巡りと地形地図
[7] 鬼滅の刃の聖地～陸奥国一之宮 鹽竈神社～｜ちく@神社好き
[8] 現代宮城風土記#24：鹽竈神社｜みやせん(宮城仙台の豆知識)
[9] 安産祈願｜鹽竈神社