Karube Shrine - Where the Japanese Go to Worship Breasts

Karube Shrine - Where the Japanese Go to Worship Breasts

A shrine dedicated to women’s breasts may sound amusing to us foreigners, but for the Japanese, this is a truly sacred place.

Located in Soja City in Japan’s Okayama Prefecture, Karube Shrine is dedicated to Chichigamisama, the Goddess of Breasts. She is believed to help with safe child births, the production of breast milk and even curing breast cancer. Built in 1678, the shrine became famous due to a now dead weeping cherry tree that grew nearby.

Its purpose is definitely to cover all boobie matters. Therefore, women from all over would drop by to pray for cures and remedies. Apparently this could range from breastfeeding problems to cancer cures, but there are those who ask the Goddess of Breasts for a bigger bust. Those boob-like things that decorate the shrine’s interior are Ema, small wooden planks, where worshipers write their prayers and requests, in the hope that the god receive them. They cost about $21, and can be ordered online, if you’re interested.