Yuki Jinja

Located near the base of Kurama-san in northern Kyoto, this 8th century shrine was moved to its current location from the heart of the city. The shrine is dedicated to the god of the mountain and is known for the absolutely massive cedar tree which stands before its gates.

For the casual: 3. For the educated: 3.

To be honest, this shrine is very small and there isn’t much to see. Making the journey to this shrine is really a journey to visit Kurama-dera, the temple higher up on the mountain. In fact, Yuki Jinja is the first major stop along the climb to the temple, only a little ways past the tram. But for its small grounds and largely passable décor, Yuki Jinja is known for its fire festival on October 22nd of every year. The Kurama Fire Festival is a sight I have yet to see myself, but it looks amazing with people running truly enormous torches they carry, each one easily larger than the person carrying them. In recent years the festival has been cancelled due to the corona virus pandemic, but as of this post in early 2022, here’s to hoping it will happen this year.

Matsunô Taisha (Matsuo Taisha)

Matsunô Taisha, also known as Matsuo Taisha, is the largest shrine in western Kyoto and is expected to protect about one third of the city’s population. The shrine was said to have been founded in the early 8th century C.E. when the lord of the Hata clan road by and noticed a turtle wading in the falls coming from the mountain. As turtles are considered extremely auspicious for good health and longevity, a shrine was established marking this special location. Matsunô Taisha has grown over the years to become one of the largest in the city with several major festivals being hosted on its grounds. This shrine is known for its small gardens, each one recreating a popular style of landscaping across Japan’s history, and a series of carved wooden images estimated to be some of the oldest in the world. As mentioned earlier, the shrine is also home to a small series of falls in addition to a well. All of this water is considered sacred and used with great reverence by local sake brewers and miso paste manufacturers.

For the casual: 7. For the educated: 7.

Matsunô Taisha is really a beautiful shrine with nice open spaces and beautiful architecture. It’s nestled into the base of the mountain side which both helps the buildings stand out while also keeping the vibe rather serene. Just the walk from the street to the main shrine is a lot of fun with grand gates, towering torii, and whatever other Japanese architecture alliterations you can think of.

On the right side of the shrine is a building where you can see some of the shrine’s treasures and get access to the gardens. I need to admit here that I didn’t go in because I got confused with the signs. Inside this building is also a photography studio to take family portraits, so I thought it was only the studio and probably not worth taking my shoes off. So please, if you get the chance, take a look inside and see some pieces ranging in time from over a thousand years old to several hundred.

Just briefly, the shrine also extends out to the left where you can find a small parking lot, a dôhyô (a clay ring for sumo wrestling), and a large rice patty lined with shimenawa (sacred rope) to mark the rice that they grow for good luck every summer.

Kamigamo Jinja

Kamigamo Jinja is the upper of two shrines dedicated not only the the Kamo-gawa, the Kamo River, but also to the founding of Kyoto itself. The deity enshrined is the three-legged raven, or Yatagarasu in Japanese, and is the primary ancient emblem of the Imperial Family. The Yatagarasu is a very important figure in the culture of Japan as well as a defining character in the history of the Imperial Family. It is said that when the capital of Japan was being moved from Nara, the emperor followed a three-legged raven north to where the city of Heian-kyô (Kyoto) would be founded. After leading the emperor, the raven retired to its home now enshrined as Kamigamo Jinja.

For the casual: 8. For the educated: 10.

I can’t believe that it took me five years to see Shimogamo Jinja, the lower shrine, and then move north to the upper shrine. This is one of those places that you see on the map being so far north that you think to yourself, “Hey, I think that is going to be so much trouble getting to that I don’t think it’s worth it.” But that’s just the thing, it’s not hard to get to at all. Whether by taxi, bus, or subway with a little walk, the shrine is actually very easy to get to and I would say quite beautiful too. The trees that line the banks of the Kamo-gawa are mostly cherry trees and so in spring you get the blossoms and in fall the leaves turn red. Granted they don’t have the same colorful attraction that a maple or a ginko tree might impress, but it’s still a lovely change in color.

The shrine stands out from its surroundings because of the vibrant vermillian of its paint. Large torii gates and fences designate the boundaries of the shrine. A long gravel path then leads visitors straight through a lawn to the inner shrine. It is believed that the sport of horse-riding, and the festivals associated with it, began its practice at this shrine, as a result the shrine has a horse-riding festival in late spring. I’m not sure how regular this is, but when I was there, there was a good luck horse in a small stable just outside of the main shrine that you could pay to feed.

The shrine consists of three main sections, the Hoso-dono, the Hashi-dono, and finally the Hon-den. The Hoso-dono is the first building that visitors see after passing through the inner torii. It is known for the two cones of sand which stand in front. These cones of sand are said to have cleansing properties and are kept intact year-round. The Hashi-dono, currently undergoing rennovations, is less a prayer building and more of a formal reception house. The Hashi-dono, as its name suggests, is a building which straddles one of the streams which bisects the shrine grounds. It is also here that a missive from the emperor is put on display when he sends his good wishes for the Aoi Matsuri every year. The Hon-den, the main shrine, is the final building with two gates, the Ro-mon and the Chu-mon. The Chu-mon is only opened at New Years so most people are only familiar with the Ro-mon. Inside are enshrined the spirits of not only the Yatagarasu, but also the local deities of the area which have been worshipped since prehistoric times.

I visited in November during Shichi-Go-San, a one month period when families pray for the health of their children. Therefore, many of the people are dressed in suits and dresses with the children wearig special kimono. Center right is a young boy in one such kimono with his father learning to bow at the torii.

Lucky horse!

The Hoso-dono and the sacred cones of sand.

Iwashimizu Hachimangû

Founded in the 9th century, Iwashimizu Hachimangû is one of the most important shrines in the Kyoto area. Enshrined is the god Hachiman, the God of War and Victory in competition, a popular god amungst the warrior class. Through numerous occasions in history, the Imperial court turned to Iwashimizu to pray for victory in various rebellions, revolts, and even during the Mongol invasions of the 13th century. The shrine has had multiple buildings added on over the years but the most notable additions come from Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi, two of the Three Great Unifiers of Japan. Later in the Edo period, the third shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu would add several more buildings to the complex to make it what it is today.

For the casual: 8. For the educated: 9.

Iwashimizu Hachimangû is one of those places that is pretty amazing in so many ways. First off, it's a quick ride on the Keihan subway line which does not go to Kyoto station, but it does follow the Kamo River so there are plenty of places to catch it. Once you get to Yawatashi station, there are two options of how to get to the shrine: hike or cable car. My friend and I took the cable car up the mountain because we had a lot to do, but it was quick and easy and only ￥200 for a round trip. The hike as I understand it is a bit steep (a commonality that pretty much every trail in Japan) but is very beautiful. The path lined with lanters weaves up through the trees to the top where the main building is. The main shrine itself is quite the spectacle with classic vermillion paint, gold trimming, dark wood roofs, and on a clear day, crisp blue skies above. As such, the shrine is designated a National Treasure and is a highly popular destination for athletes, students, and anyone seeking good luck particular with competitions.

Shimogamo Jinja

Shimogamo Jinja is a shrine along the banks of the Kamo river and just northeast of the Imperial Palace in Kyoto. This shrine is home to Kamotaketsunomi-no-mikoto, the guardian deity of the city of Kyoto, and also to his daughter Tamayorihime-no-mikoto, a goddess of strong and prosperous marriage. Said to take on the form of a three-legged raven, Kamotaketsunomi-no-mikoto is believed to have led the first emperor of Japan, Jimmu, to not only the site where the great capital of Kyoto would be established, but also to where his shrine would later be constructed. Though it is not known when the shrine was first constructed, artifacts have been found which date the shrine back as far as the Yayoi Period (c. 350 BCE-c. 250 CE). The forest which surrounds Shimogamo Jinja is an ancient forest designated as a National and World Heritage site in its own right as it is so old that its history is rather unknown. Shimogamo Jinja is also one of the shrines which participates in the Shikinen Sengu, a tradition of rebuilding shrines anew every 21 years for spiritual purity. The last rebuilding of Shimogamo Jinja was 2013.

For the educated: 9. For the casual: 9.

Shimogamo Jinja is a special place to be in the Kyoto area. Like many of the sites here, Shimogamo Jinja is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a National Heritage site. I also recommend going to the shrines and temples which house the guardian deities of the city, but this one was rather special in my opinion for a number of reasons.

For one, the shrine is buried in the Tadasu-no-mori, a forest so old they dont actually know what the name means although its been narrowed down to delta or justice. Take your pick. Anyways, a walk through this protected forest means that you can escape most of the busy city that you have clogged your pores with. Listen to the birds and the bees, or if youre visiting in summer, the cicadas. the white gravel pathways and green canopy complement each other until you reach the shrine itself. Vermillion gates stand in stark constrast, but do not seem to loose sight of the beauty it surrounds itself with.

For those who have an understanding of Japanese history, Shimogamo Jinja is a great and easy place to visit if you want to tap into the ancient lay lines of the Kyoto past. But its also important to take in the sensory brilliance of such a little haven. Enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells, and relax as you get transported from central Kyoto to a lush wonderland.

Fushimi Inari Taisha

Predating the capital of Heian-kyô in the 8th century, Fushimi Inari Taisha is one if not the most iconic shrine known to foreigners around the world. Home of Ukanomitama-no-Mikoto, the goddess of agriculture, the shrine is dedicated to the well being of crops. The shrine has had many famous donors over the years, including famed warrior Toyotomi Hideyoshi who donated the front gate of the shrine. Unlike most other shrines, Fushimi Inari ranges all over a single mountain from the main shrine at the bottom to the "center" of the shrine at the top where a flame is lit. 

For the casual: 10. For the educated: 10

The shrine's inconicity is derived from two key features: it's tori gates and its fox statues. Foxes are the messengers of the goddess and are known for hunting many of the pests that would harm agricultural fields. Now if you've read my Intro to Shrines page, which I highly encourage you do if you haven't yet, you'll know that all shrines will have a tori gate. This gate signifies the boundary between the worlds of mortals and immortals, the sacred and impious. Fushimi Inari on the other hand doesn't have one, two, or ten, it has thousands upon thousands of tori gates which align the twisting pathways that lead from the base of the mountain, to smaller shrines across the mountain, and finally to the "center" of the main shrine at the summit of the mountain. These tori gates are all donations from various individuals and companies over the years and by stacking them closely together, the viewer gets the illusion of walking through vermilion hallways. In fact, at the entrance to the main shrine, there are even notices letting visitors know how much one tori will cost ranging from small tori only about a food tall, to one of the many thousands of large tori which mark the main pathways up the mountain.

Because Fushimi Inari Taisha is a celebrety amongst shrines across Japan, be prepared to face large crowds if visiting on a weekend or on a holiday. An easy way to avoid most crowds on any day is to visit around noon (all the tours arrive in the morning) or on a weekday. If you're not interested in climbing the mountain, that's totally fine, but the majority of visitors will be staying close to the base of the shrine and some of the first few hallways of vermillian tori before leaving for the next major tourist attraction. All the same, I don't believe that a visit to Kyoto is complete without visiting Fushimi Inari Taisha.

View fullsize