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A Small Neighborhood Shrine in Yokohama: Susaki Shrine
横浜の住宅街にたたずむ小さな神社：洲崎神社
Located just an 11-minute walk from Kanazawa-Hakkei Station on the Keikyu Line — itself only about a 40-minute ride from Shinagawa Station in Tokyo — Susaki Shrine isn’t one of the grand tourist destinations that draw millions of visitors. Instead, it’s a quiet, everyday neighborhood shrine, the kind you can find throughout Japan, whether in bustling urban centers or tucked away in remote mountain villages. Shrines like this are woven into the daily lives of local communities.
I stumbled upon Susaki Shrine by chance, simply walking between the station and my client’s meeting site. After wrapping up my business meeting — one that, unfortunately, didn’t go as I had hoped — I wasn’t in a hurry to return to the office. Instead, I found myself wandering over to this peaceful spot, along with the temple next door, as a way to collect my thoughts.
Originally, the shrine stood in Nagahama, a coastal village about 4 km (2.5 miles) north of here. The exact founding date is unknown, lost to history after a tsunami swept the village out to sea in 1311. Survivors relocated, bringing the shrine with them to this area. Later, in 1914, the shrine was moved once more to its current location to make way for National Route 16, which now runs nearby.
The current worship hall was refurbished in 1838 and has been carefully maintained over the years. It survived both the devastating Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 and the air raids of World War II.
I visited with mixed feelings — curiosity paired with frustration. After weeks of effort, my business objectives hadn’t been met. But as I spent a few quiet moments focusing on photographing the shrine, I found unexpected relief. It wasn’t necessarily the spiritual nature of the place that offered comfort, but rather the simple act of slowing down, observing details, and creating something with my camera. By the time I headed back to the office, my mood had lifted, and I felt just a little more at peace.
- Location: Kanazawa Ward, Yokohama, Japan
- Timestamp: 2025/01/09 17:07
- Fujifilm X100V with 5% diffusion filter
- ISO 1000 for 1/250 sec. at ƒ/10
- Classic Negative film simulation
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