Suitengu Shrine

This shrine in the Nihonbashi district is one of Tokyo's most popular for prayers concerning safe childbirth and fertility, drawing expectant parents who touch a bronze statue of a mother dog with her puppy for good fortune. Rebuilt in the twentieth century in an unusual raised design that lifts the hall above street level on stilts, freeing space below, it honors a water deity connected to a former feudal domain. The compact, modern precinct stays busy year-round with families seeking blessings for a healthy delivery.