Located only a hop, skip, and a jump down the street from Kinkakuji is the well established shrine Kitano Tenmangû, one of the premier shrines in the city and the shrine most associated with passing exams. The shrine was founded in 947 C.E. to commemorate Sugawara no Michizane, a scholar and renowned figure of the time for his genius. Following his death, the emperor of the time established the construction of the shrine and it became the first shrine in Japanese history to enshrine a real person. The legacy of Sugawara no Michizane in addition to the founding of Kitano Tenmangû lead to the building of branch shrines across the country. Today, there are estimated to be around 12,000 shrines dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane. The shrines are a particularly popular place for students to pray for exam scores, but it’s also a place for people to wish for luck improving personal skills and the wisdom to overcome the mental challenges we all face.

For the casual: 8. For the educated: 8.

There are so many reasons I can think of for visiting this shrine, from incredible architecture, vibrant art, peaceful paths of stone lanters, to the quaint surrounding neighborhoods blending traditional Kyoto market streets with modern bistros, cafés, and stores. In the compact modern cities of Japan, and for certain in a major city like Kyoto, it’s amazingly refreshing to find one of those places where all of that fades away. A chance to smell the fresh pine needles, touch stone lanterns from ages past, and ignite the mind with colors and carvings brilliant to the eye. There’s a great deal to see at Kitano Tenmangû, but I firmly believe it must be experienced and not read.