English Version
This time, we’re looking at Sakuragi Shrine, a quiet shrine standing in Tokorozawa City, Saitama Prefecture. Among local ghost-story fans, it is sometimes called the “Hanging Shrine.”
Despite that unsettling nickname, Sakuragi Shrine is also a place with real history. It is said to be connected to old documents registered as cultural heritage materials, as well as records related to Tokugawa Mitsukuni. In other words, this is not just an abandoned-looking “scary spot,” but a shrine with deep historical roots.
Even so, reports of strange experiences and ghost sightings have continued to circulate around it. Locals are said to be wary of the place, and many stories have been shared online about unsettling incidents near the shrine.
Reported Phenomenon 1: A Spirit Hanging From the Torii Gate
As the nickname suggests, one of the most repeated rumors is that people have seen the ghost of someone hanging from the shrine’s torii gate.
There are also stories that some visitors do not come only to pray, but to perform a late-night curse ritual associated with the “hour of the ox.” These claims should be treated as rumors, but they have helped give the shrine its ominous reputation.
Reported Phenomenon 2: Strange Trouble Near the Shrine
Another common story involves people driving near Sakuragi Shrine. Some claim that the spirit of a suicide victim suddenly falls onto the hood of the car, while others say their engine unexpectedly refuses to start.
There are also rumors that people have gone missing in the area, or that some were “spirited away.” As with many haunted-place stories, these accounts are difficult to verify, but they continue to be repeated by those interested in paranormal locations.
Visitor Reports About Sakuragi Shrine
One post about the old Sakuragi Shrine described a visit in the summer of 2000. The writer said they happened to be going down a slope from a cemetery when they noticed something like a warning sign and what looked like paper talismans attached to a fence.
According to the account, when they went down and looked to the right, the pedestrian area at the time was just dirt. They could see the torii gate, and when they stared beyond it, the small shrine building appeared hazy and white. The atmosphere felt so strange that they could not get off their bicycle and ended up leaving.
Another person wrote that they had planned to walk to the shrine, taking about an hour to get there. But when they were still around 1.5 kilometers away, the smartphone they were using for navigation suddenly shut off. They said they had been watching the screen the whole time and never saw a low-battery warning.
After reading other people’s experiences, that person felt the stories were scarier than expected and decided it may have been better not to go.
A different report described a visit in May 2019 by three men. They had researched the place beforehand and found that the area around Sakuragi Shrine was cleaner than expected. The entrance also had lighting, making it feel brighter and less like a typical haunted spot.
However, once they reached the area near the torii gate, they felt it had more of the atmosphere people associate with ghost sightings. They went all the way to the back and returned safely without anything unusual happening. The only notable thing they found that day was a banner in the back of the shrine celebrating the emperor’s enthronement.
That visitor concluded that, for a group of several adults, it was not an overwhelmingly frightening haunted spot.
Another commenter said that while some people feel nothing there, they personally sensed a very unpleasant atmosphere. They even said they disliked the feeling there more than at the Hachioji Castle ruins, another well-known haunted location in Japan.
Final Thoughts
Sakuragi Shrine is said to have been introduced on television under the name “S Shrine” and featured in paranormal video segments. Because of this, its reputation has spread beyond local rumors, and many people describe the atmosphere as strong enough that visiting alone would be frightening. Some even say it would be scary with a group of four.
If you visit, do not treat the shrine as a playground or dare spot. It is still a religious site and a place connected to local history. Be respectful, follow any posted rules, do not enter restricted areas, avoid disturbing neighbors at night, and never damage or remove anything from the grounds.
Whether or not the rumors are true, Sakuragi Shrine remains one of Saitama’s more talked-about haunted locations.
Japanese Language
今回は埼玉県所沢市にたたずむ神社「桜木神社」について紹介していきたいと思います。この神社は「別名：首吊り神社」とも言われています。この神社には 文化遺産に登録された「古文書」 や 「徳川光圀」の記録など、歴史の深い神社 にもなっています。そんな歴史深い神社ですが、心霊現象や心霊体験の報告などが相次いでいます。桜木神社で報告されている心霊現象。。この神社では、地元民からも恐れられており多くの心霊現象や心霊体験の報告が数多くありました。ここからは、報告されたものを紹介していきたいと思います。
心霊現象① 鳥居で首をつっている幽霊を目撃する。タイトルにある通り、鳥居で首をつる人が後を絶たないそうです。他にも、お参りだけではなく 丑の刻参りのために訪れる人もいるんだとか・・・。。心霊現象② 神社付近を車で走ってると、ボンネットに自殺者の霊が落ちてきたり、エンジンが突然かからなくなったりなど、不可解な現象が多い。この地で行方不明者や神隠しにあった人物までいたそうです。桜木神社の心霊報告。。旧桜木神社 2000年の夏に、たまたま墓場から坂を下りてた途中に何か注意書きみたいな看板と御札のようなものが柵に貼ってたのが印象に残ってます。
。下りて右側行くと当時の歩行者の所は土で、 。鳥居が見え目を凝らして見ると祠が霞んで白く見えて自転車から降りれず帰りました。。雰囲気は異様に見え、当時は行くきになれなかったです奥に。。引用： 全国心霊マップ 。行こうとしていたのに・・・ さっき行ってこようと一時間かけて歩きました。あと1.5キロというところで ナビとして使っていたスマホの電源がいきなり落ちてしまいました。ずっと画面みていたのに電池の残量低下を通知する画面も出ず不思議でした。
行くなということだったんでしょうか？。みんなの体験談とかいま読んでますけど想像以上に怖いしなにかしら霊障が起きた人が多いようなので いかなくて良かったぁと思ってます 。引用： 全国心霊マップ 。2019年5月に桜木神社訪問 当日は、男3人で訪問しました。。あらかじめこちらで内容を調べてからの訪問です。。桜木神社付近は思っていたよりも綺麗で入り口周辺も照明の設置があり明るい雰囲気で心霊スポット感はあまりありませんでした。。実際に鳥居付近まで行くと入口よりは霊が出そうな雰囲気はあります。
。1番奥まで行き帰りましたが特に何も起きず無事帰る事が出来ました。。本日発見したものは・・・神社の奥にあった天皇陛下御即位の垂れ幕のみでした。。大人が数人で行けば怖くないレベルの心霊スポットだと思います。。動画も撮影したので気になる方は見てください。。。もしくはYouTubeでしゃんぐりら。桜木神社と検索して下さい。。引用： 全国心霊マップ 。ここの雰囲気は・・・ なんともないという人もいますが私は凄く嫌な雰囲気を感じました。。少なくとも八王子城跡地より私は嫌です。
。引用： 全国心霊マップ 。八王子城跡地については、当サイトでも紹介しておりますので こちらから どうぞ！。まとめ。この神社はテレビなどで「S神社」と称され、心霊動画として紹介されることもあったそうです。そのようなことがあったため、雰囲気はかなりあり、1人ではもちろん4人で訪れるのも怖いと言われています。訪れる際は面白半分ではなく、真面目な心で訪れてください。決して、神社を荒らすようなことはないようにしてくださいね。なんらかの祟りにあってしまうかもしれませんね？
。埼玉県の最恐心霊スポットランキングは→ 【知りたくなかった】埼玉県のヤバい心霊スポットランキング！
