Confidence
| Field | Confidence | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Shrine name | 99% | Center calligraphy 東郷神社 reads cleanly. Center red square seal in tensho confirms 東郷神社. The 抱き茗荷 (daki-myōga) Tōgō family crest at top in dark blue is unique to this shrine. The two rabbits holding Z signal flags are documented as Tōgō Jinja's 2023 Year-of-the-Rabbit limited motif (combining the zodiac year with Admiral Tōgō's famous Z flag from the Battle of Tsushima). |
| Date | 97% | Left column reads 令和五年五月二十七日 = 27 May 2023. Same day as the standard Tōgō goshuin (entry 01). |
| Variant identification | 96% | The 「勝」 (Win) red seal at top right + the rabbits + the Z flags + the date being on/near 27 May (Tōgō Jinja's annual major commemoration of the Battle of Tsushima victory anniversary, 28 May) confirm this as the seasonal/zodiac-year limited goshuin. |
Identification
- Name (Japanese): 東郷神社
- Name (Romanized): Tōgō Jinja (Harajuku Tōgō Jinja)
- Type: Shinto shrine
- Location: Harajuku, Shibuya Ward, Tokyo
- Variant: 2023 Year-of-the-Rabbit Z-flag limited goshuin (癸卯年限定 / 海軍旗御朱印)
- Date received: 令和五年五月二十七日 = 27 May 2023
Reading the goshuin
| Element | Reading | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 勝 | "Win / Victory" | Top right, small red seal |
| 奉拝 | Hōhai — "humbly worshipped" | Top right, brush |
| 抱き茗荷紋 (daki-myōga) | Tōgō family crest | Top center, dark blue |
| Rabbit + Z signal flag (top-left) | Year of the Rabbit (2023) + Admiral Tōgō's Z-flag | Top left, illustrated |
| Rabbit + Z signal flag (bottom-right) | Same — paired motif | Bottom right, illustrated |
| 東郷神社 | Tōgō Jinja — shrine name | Center, large brush |
| Tensho seal | Shrine name in seal script | Center red square seal |
| 令和五年五月二十七日 | 27 May 2023 | Left column, brush |
Why rabbits + Z flags?
This goshuin combines two layers of meaning that are uniquely Tōgō Jinja:
1. The Z signal flag (Z旗 / Z-ki)
On the morning of 27 May 1905, before the Battle of Tsushima, Admiral Tōgō Heihachirō ordered the Z signal flag raised aboard his flagship Mikasa. Under naval signal-flag conventions of the era, the Z flag could be assigned a unique meaning by the commander; Tōgō declared his Z to mean:
皇国ノ興廃此ノ一戦ニ在リ各員一層奮励努力セヨ
"Kōkoku no kōhai kono issen ni ari, kaku-in issō funrei doryoku seyo."
"The fate of the Empire rests on this single battle. Every man must do his utmost."
This is one of the most famous orders in Japanese military history. The Z flag — black, red, blue, and yellow in distinctive geometric pattern — has since become a symbol of decisive effort and certain victory in Japan, used by sports teams, businesses, and (per its origin) the navy. Tōgō Jinja's iconography prominently features it.
2. Year of the Rabbit (癸卯年 / 2023)
2023 was the Year of the Rabbit (癸卯 / mizunoto-u). Many shrines added rabbit motifs to their 2023 goshuin as zodiac-year limited editions. Tōgō Jinja's twist was to have the rabbits hold the Z flags — a charming combination of the cute zodiac animal with the shrine's defining military symbol.
The 「勝」 (kachi / "win") red seal at top right reinforces Admiral Tōgō's signature blessing of victory. The standard goshuin (entry 01) doesn't include the 勝 seal; this Year-of-the-Rabbit version adds it.
The 27 May date is meaningful
27 May is special at Tōgō Jinja: it's the eve of the Battle of Tsushima anniversary. The actual battle began on 27 May 1905 when Tōgō's Combined Fleet engaged the Russian Baltic Fleet, with the decisive engagement continuing into 28 May. Until 1945, "Navy Day" (海軍記念日) was observed in Japan on 27 May to commemorate the battle.
Visiting Tōgō Jinja on 27 May is not coincidental — the shrine holds annual commemorations around this date, and the 2023 visit happens to fall on the exact anniversary of when Tōgō raised the Z flag 118 years prior. This makes both Tōgō goshuin in this book (entries 01 and 04) anniversary-day visits.
Same shrine, different goshuin — why two?
Tōgō Jinja offers multiple goshuin variants simultaneously, especially on commemorative days:
- Standard goshuin (entry 01) — for everyday collection; documents the visit
- Year of the Rabbit limited (this entry) — special seasonal/zodiac-year addition with thematic illustrations
Many visitors who come on commemorative days collect both. The fact that the user has both at the same date suggests deliberate dual collection.