Uji Shrine: The Backward-Looking Rabbit and the Divine Scholar Prince

Why is it significant?

Pass beneath the bright vermilion wooden torii gate of Uji Shrine, nestled peacefully among ancient cedar trees at the base of Mount Asahi.

Key Facts

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Pass beneath the bright vermilion wooden torii gate of Uji Shrine, nestled peacefully among ancient cedar trees at the base of Mount Asahi. In the center of the flagstone courtyard, look for the stone water purification font shaped like a sweet rabbit, and admire the hundreds of white rabbit figurines resting on the wooden altar. This is the sacred home of the Mikaeri Usagi, or the Backward-Looking Rabbit, one of the most endearing and spiritually significant guardian animals in Japanese Shinto folklore. Gentle woodland birds flutter among the cryptomeria branches overhead, adding their soft chirping to the quiet courtyard.

The legend of the rabbit centers on the fourth-century imperial prince Uji no Wakiiratsuko, a brilliant scholar who studied under Korean Confucian tutors. When his father, Emperor Ojin, selected him as crown prince, Wakiiratsuko believed his elder half-brother was more suited to rule. When the prince traveled to Uji, he became hopelessly lost in the dense, trackless mountain forests until a divine rabbit appeared, repeatedly looking back over its shoulder to guide him safely.

In a heartbreaking act of noble self-sacrifice, Prince Wakiiratsuko committed suicide in Uji so that his elder brother could take the imperial throne without civil war, becoming the beloved Emperor Nintoku. Today, pilgrims travel from across Japan to pray to the Backward-Looking Rabbit for moral guidance when making difficult life choices, and for success in academic examinations.

Pick up an omikuji fortune slip tucked inside a miniature ceramic rabbit, designed to be taken home as a protective talisman for your study desk. Unroll the tiny paper scroll to read your fortune for wisdom, safe travels, and clear direction in life.

Walk up the gentle wooded stone stairway behind the shrine, ascending into the secluded sacred precinct of Ujigami Shrine.