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Turtles & Shrines — Messengers of the Gods
Shrines where turtles serve the gods, a Tenjin shrine with 'turtle' in its name, and ponds crowded with basking shells. Beyond the torii gate lies turtle sanctuary.
The turtle as divine messenger — Matsunoo Taisha, Kyoto
Japanese shrines each have a shinshi, an animal messenger of the deity: the fox of Inari, the ox of Tenjin, the dove of Hachiman. At Matsunoo Taisha, one of Kyoto's oldest shrines, the messengers are the turtle and the carp.
The grounds hold a sacred spring called the Turtle's Well, turtle statues bearing water, and a 'stroking turtle' said to grant long life to those who touch it. At this shrine — famous also as the deity of sake brewing — the turtle has stood for water and longevity for over a millennium.
A shrine named for turtles — Kameido Tenjin
Tokyo's Kameido Tenjin has been loved since the Edo period for its wisteria, its arched drum bridge, and its pond full of turtles. Hokusai himself drew the bridge in his series on remarkable bridges.
The name Kameido is linked to turtles (though etymologies compete — see our Dictionary of Turtle Names), and the pond remains a basking hotspot. Stand on the bridge under the wisteria, and you share a view — turtles included — with Edo.
Why are shrine ponds full of turtles?
Two reasons. The first is hōjō-e, the ancient Buddhist rite of releasing captured animals to earn merit — turtles were its favorite beneficiaries, and temple ponds have sheltered them for centuries.
The second is modern: unwanted pets released into the ponds, which is why most residents today are red-eared sliders. What once earned merit now breaks ecosystems — and the law. Admire shrine turtles; never add to them.
Turtle-spotting on sacred ground
Shrines and temples are treasuries of turtle design: turtles spouting water at purification fonts, turtles hidden in carvings and lanterns, stone turtles bearing steles (see Turtles & Myth).
On your next visit, collect turtles along with your goshuin stamp — in the pond, in stone, in wood. Each one found makes the visit a little more fun.
