Zeniarai Benten Shrine — Money-Washing Cave Shrine

Zeniarai Benten (銭洗弁財天, 'Money-Washing Benzaiten') is a shrine hidden in a cave where worshippers wash coins and bills in sacred spring water, believing the ritual will multiply their wealth. The shrine is dedicated to Benzaiten (goddess of water, music, and fortune) and was founded in 1185 when Minamoto no Yoritomo claimed a vision instructed him to worship here. The spring water flows from the cave shrine, and visitors use bamboo baskets to dip money into the stream, then air-dry it before returning to their wallets.

Access to the shrine requires walking through a tunnel carved through rock — emerging into a hidden valley where shrine buildings nestle against cliffs, surrounded by thousands of red flags and banners donated by previous visitors. The atmosphere is mystical — incense smoke, dripping cave walls, the sound of flowing water, and crowds of hopeful worshippers performing money-washing ritual. The shrine's combination of folk belief, natural setting, and participatory ritual creates memorable experience beyond typical shrine visits.