Mie Gokoku Shrine

Mieken Gokoku Shrine, located right near the west exit of Tsu Station, enshrines over 60,300 war dead from Mie Prefecture, spanning conflicts from the Kinmon Incident and the Boshin War through World War II. In recent years, it has also attracted devotion from inside and outside the prefecture as a guardian deity for Japan and Mie, a god of peace and prosperity, a god of safety and security, and a god for children. The main shrine building on the grounds was relocated from the "Higashi Hoden" of Ise Jingu Geku during the 59th Shikinen Sengu in 1953, and the ceremonial hall was likewise relocated from the Geku "Shijoden," which was rebuilt for the same 59th Shikinen Sengu. While typical komainu guardian dogs form a pair with one "A" (open mouth) and one "Un" (closed mouth), the komainu here are the rare "Aa-Aa" type, with both sides having open mouths. Despite being a Gokoku Shrine, it actively runs official accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube, making it a shrine known for uniquely adapting its outreach to the times.