Karube Shrine
Karube Shrine, known as The Breast Shrine or Oppai Jinja is located in Soja city in Okayama.
Karube Jinja (Karube Shrine - The Breast Shrine) 軽部神社
Jake Davies
Approaching Karube Shrine in the village of Kiyone, Okayama Prefecture, there is nothing to indicate that it is any different from thousands of other small local shrines scattered all across Japan.
Located at the base of a hill with stone lanterns flanking the road leading to the stone torii, nothing seems out of the ordinary, however, peering into the main hall, it becomes clear why the nickname of the shrine is Oppai Jinja, the Boobs Shrine, as the walls are hung with countless ema (votive tablets) with representations of female breasts.
Karube Shrine is a fertility shrine, and while much more common in earlier times, fertility shrines still exist in Japan, though this one is different from the more common type that focuses on the phallus.
Karube Shrine
Karube Shrine
The goddess of the shrine is Chichigamisama, and women come here from all over Japan to pray for safe childbirth and for ample breast milk.
In recent years prayers for protection from or a cure for breast cancer have become more common, though while the breast cancer rate in Japan is much lower than in western countries, the rate has doubled in Japan in the past 40 years.
Close to half the ema were for breast cancer, and there were one or two simply requesting large breasts for "cosmetic" reasons.
Karube Shrine ema
The association of the shrine with breasts comes from a cherry tree that has long since gone. The trees name included the character for breast in it.
The breast ema fall into 2 categories. There is a standard type that can be purchased. Looking like a pair of pure white mochi (rice cakes) with cherries on top. They cost 2000 yen and can be found online.
The other type are home-made and exhibit more variety, though to my mind they also look like cup cakes or blancmanges or other type of desserts. In fact the local bakery, located a little north of the station on the main road of the village, sells a whole range of cakes, breads, and other baked goods either shaped like breasts or featuring a breast motif.
Access
Karube Shrine is located about 300 meters southwest of Kiyone Station on the Hakubi line of JR West, connecting Kurashiki and Soja. The station is also on the private Ibara Railway connecting Soja with Kannabe in Fukuyama. Karube Shrine is a short detour off the nearby Kibi Bike Path.
The shrine is unmanned and there is no entry fee.
Karube Shrine
Karube Shrine
Soja-shi, Seion Karube
Okayama
