Hikawa Shrine
Hikawa Shrine (火川神社; Fire River Shrine) was a Shinto shrine where Rei Hino lived with her grandfather and worked as a miko. It was also one of the future Crystal Points in the anime.
The shrine often served as a place where the Sailor Senshi gathered to discuss the latest news and their plans, or to simply relax and socialize, especially in the anime.
Hikawa Shrine in the Real World[edit]
There are actually three Hikawa shrines in Minato-ku, Tokyo, located in the Azabu, Akasaka, and Shirokane districts, respectively. The Hikawa Shrine of the manga was based primarily on the one in Azabu (and sits in the exact same location atop Sendai Hill), while its anime counterpart was influenced to a greater degree by the one in Akasaka. The one in Shirokane was one of the two shrine locations for shooting the fictional Hikawa Shrine in the live-action version.
The names of real-life Hikawa shrines are written using the kanji "氷" (meaning "ice") for the syllable "hi," rather than "火" (meaning "fire"). The spelling in the series is a play on words highlighting Rei's connection to the planet Mars and her fire-based elemental attacks.
Trivia[edit]
- In the first version of the English dub produced by DiC, the Hikawa Shrine was renamed "Cherry Hill Temple." In the second version produced by Cloverway, however, it retained its original name.
- All scenes that took place at the shrine were cut from the Korean dub.
External Links[edit]
- Tokyo Shrines Bureau: (Azabu) Hikawa Shrine Information (in Japanese)
- Tokyo Shrines Bureau: (Akasaka) Hikawa Shrine Information (in Japanese)
- Akasaka Hikawa Shrine Official Site (in Japanese)
- Tokyo Shrines Bureau: (Shirokane) Hikawa Shrine Information (in Japanese)
