The Scenic Loss and Preservation of District Shrines at the Fringe of Tokyo

With their deity groves, Japanese Shinto shrines form unique green spaces. Further, many shrines are located between a settlement and the rural or natural environment. This location relates to the nature-worship of the Shinto tradition. However, when visiting present shrine precincts, it gives the impression that their original landscape location and green space is impaired by urban changes. This study focuses on the point how the scenic condition of district shrines at the fringe of Tokyo is challenged in the present, and presents an example of a successful preservation in the urban area. The key point of such preservation is that it goes beyond the shrine precinct itself. If there still exists a natural or beautiful scenery next to a shrine with some distinct historical or religious relationship, both shrine and scenery should be preserved together.