Photo: 663highland / CC BY 2.5Kehi Jingu is Tsuruga's main shrine, called the chief shrine of the Hokuriku and the first shrine of Echizen. Its great torii is a national Important Cultural Property and one of Japan's three great wooden torii, a trio the shrine's own caption shares with Kasuga Taisha and Itsukushima.
The torii is 36 shaku, or 10.9 m, tall, of wood in the vermilion-lacquered ryobu style, built in 1645 from muroki cut in Sado, on the shrine's own history page. It is, the shrine says, the only structure on the site to have escaped the air raid of 12 July 1945 that destroyed the main hall. The shrine dates its foundation to the year 702.
The catch is that the great torii is the point, and everything else is a quiet Shinto precinct with little to do for a first-timer. The shrine's own site is in Japanese only and states no admission fee, so confirm on the day. It is a 30-minute stop, so pair it with the museum, a lunch, or the pine grove.
Five things the plaques won't tell you
- Gates open at 6:00 from October to March, so on an early call the great torii is yours before the shuttle crowds arrive.
- The shrine desk for amulets and goshuin stops at 16:45, and prayer reception at 16:00.
- The great torii stands at the shrine's front; the shuttle's Aioi-cho-dori stop is on the shrine's west side, so you walk in from the side and see the gate as you leave.
- The Gurutto Tsuruga loop bus runs from the station to the shrine in about 3 minutes, and the community bus Matsubara line takes about 4.
- Do not confuse the torii's height: the shrine's tourism page says about 11 m, and its history page says 36 shaku (10.9 m).
The shrine dates its foundation to the year 702.
Guided days from Tsuruga
Booked before you sail — there is no tour desk at the pier. Booking through these links supports the site.
Questions people ask here
How tall is the great torii of Kehi Jingu?
The shrine's history page gives 36 shaku, 10.9 m, built in 1645 from muroki wood cut in Sado, in vermilion lacquer. It calls it one of Japan's three great torii.
Is Kehi Jingu close to the Tsuruga cruise port?
The ships dock in the cargo port. The city shuttle stops at Aioi-cho-dori by the shrine, and the official facility sheet says about 5 minutes by car. Our calculation is about 4.5 km and ¥2,150 by taxi.
What are the shrine's opening hours?
Gates 6:00–17:00 from October to March and 5:00–17:00 from April to September; prayer reception 9:00–16:00.