Hanazono Shrine has been the tutelary shrine of Shinjuku, in Tokyo, even before the foundation of Edo as the capital of the Shogunate by Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1603. The geographical name Shinjuku has not been changed since then, yet it had alternate names such as “Naito Shinjuku” or “Tuibun Shinjuku”. Moreover, Shinjuku was a posting station. Until the Kanei period, the shrine was located about 250 meters to the south near to the Isetan department store today. Furthermore the shrine was moved because the Asakura Chikugo lord made a residence nearby. The reason why the shrine was called Hanazono Inari Shrine was because the shrine was transferred to a beautiful spot filled with full-bloomed flowers. In 1965, the name was changed to Hanazono Shrine. In the past (in 1780 and 1811), the shrine was almost destroyed by fire. However, it was rebuilt, and a theater was established with performances of  spectacle shows and dramas, that attracted the public. Even nowadays, the traditional Japanese arts have been passed down and are still performed. Therefore, it is quite common to see people making oblations to famous actors and performers.